


for sale

by jrangel



Category: Silicon Valley (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Prostitution, M/M, Praise Kink
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-09
Updated: 2016-04-26
Packaged: 2018-04-13 17:41:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 46,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4531125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jrangel/pseuds/jrangel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jared had always had a deep appreciation for the movie <i>Pretty Woman</i>; talk about finding love in unlikely places! One day, an unfamiliar man shows up at the Hooli offices for a "mysterious" meeting with Gavin and Jared learns that real life is rarely like the movies.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first attempt at SV fanfic and was written in a fit of inspiration.

“Mr. Belson, your 4 o’clock is here.”

Jared glanced up from the contracts he had been summarizing for the Hooli C.E.O. to see the severe-looking woman from reception hovering expectantly in the doorway, a subtle smirk pulling at her red-painted lips. Jared always thought she would be so much more at home in a fashion-related setting rather than the cerebral but adolescent atmosphere of Palo Alto tech. She gave off a decidedly Emily Blunt in _The Devil Wears Prada_ kind of vibe.

Beside Jared, Gavin checked his watch impatiently as he leaned back in his chair.

“He in the lobby?” The C.E.O asked gruffly without looking up.

The receptionist tilted her head lazily to the side and then motioned to the sleek glass wall that divided the office from reception, “Mr. Hendricks came directly up, Mr. Belson.”

“Good, good.” Gavin said, returning his attention to the documents in front of him. “Grab him a Red Bull, tell him I’ll be out in ten.”

Though the glass, Jared caught sight of a thin man standing awkwardly by the couches outside the office. His curly brown hair partially obscured his angular face as his head hung low, his eyes trained on the floor, his fidgety hands crammed into the pockets of a worn purple hoodie. Just looking at him, the man was indistinguishable from many of the unkempt programmers who roamed the Hooli halls. Unlike those programmers, he had access to an executive level employee’s personal office, which raised a flurry of questions in Jared’s head. As Gavin’s right-hand man, Jared was more often than not kept firmly in the loop on the other man’s comings and goings within the company as well as the individuals he conducted business with, so who was this?

A quiet grunt brought Jared’s attention back to the man himself, who had begun lightly paging through the papers Jared was meant to be explaining to him.

“Think we can pick the pace up on these, Jared?” The C.E.O. asked with an air of impatience, pausing on a clause Jared had flagged as potentially problematic. “If it’s only an issue of revising the language, send these down to legal and have them go through the sections you red-lined. I don’t have time to overlook these kinds of edits. Come back to me when these are airtight and ready to distribute, got me?”

“Of course, Gavin.” Jared agreed easily, scooping up the stack before sliding it into a folder. “They should be ready for your approval in the morning. We’re all done here, I think.”

“Excellent.” Gavin said, pushing out of his chair and rounding the desk to make his way to the office door. “See to it that Robertson and Jeffries are notified,” he added with his hand on the handle. “And get me a meeting with Denpak scheduled for lunch tomorrow.”

“No problem.” Jared said, following Gavin as the C.E.O. began exiting the room.

Gavin kept walking without another word to the business executive and made a straight line for the nervous-looking beanstalk of a man who was now clutching an energy drink and slumped into one of the dark leather couches in the visitor area. He must be a personal acquaintance, Jared thought as he watched Gavin get the other man’s attention by ruffling the man’s loose curls playfully. The man jerked his head in the direction of the touch and then stood quickly, depositing the can onto one of the side tables and rubbing a shaky hand down the leg of his corduroys before offering it to Gavin in greeting. Jared thought that was an odd response, based on the affectionate way Gavin had just touched the other man, but didn’t know what to make of it. Even stranger, after giving the other man a quick handshake, Gavin slid his arm around the thinner man’s back with his hand coming to rest inappropriately close to his waist. The man – Mr. Hendricks – ducked his head in what looked like embarrassment but followed the C.E.O. as he led them to Gavin’s private elevator. Right before they disappeared behind the sliding doors, the man looked up, blue eyes meeting Jared’s curious gaze from across the room. The moment was gone before Jared could even grasp it and the doors shut, blocking Jared from those nervous, blue eyes.

What Jared thought would add up to just an unusual one-off became a series of mysterious “4 o’clock meetings” between Gavin and the other man, in which the nervous brunet would show up at the Hooli offices sometime near the end of the work day only to be dragged off by the eccentric C.E.O. After the first occurrence, Mr. Hendricks began showing up every other week, always in a visible state of nervous energy, body language tense and on edge. Soon enough, Jared noticed that the other man was showing up at least once a week and then even a couple times a week. Each time, he would come up using Gavin’s private elevator and wait in the visitor's area on one of the couches while Gavin wrapped up whatever work he couldn’t afford to put off for the next day. In all the time that Jared had observed the other man, he had only ever picked up one of the magazines strewn on the visitor’s side tables once, thumbing through it disinterestedly in what looked like a bid to kill time. For the most part, however, the other man appeared to just wait in contemplative silence as he waited for Gavin, staring off into the far distance with an anxious look on his face.

Once, on a day when Gavin had been called out of office, Mr. Hendricks had showed up anyway and sat in the reception area for close to an hour before Jared realized that no one had informed him that Gavin wouldn’t be returning to the Hooli offices for the rest of the workday. At first, Jared had worried as to whether he should interact with Gavin’s guest at all, considering the seemingly secretive nature of their “meetings,” but after a full hour had come and gone, Jared felt like it would be unkind not to give the other man a heads up.

“Hey.” Jared greet lightly as he approached the other man.

“Hi.” The other man greeted back, fidgeting nervously in his seat as Jared came to sit down across from him on the adjacent couch. 

Jared spoke slowly and calmly, hoping to decrease some of the other man’s stress. “My name is Jared Dunn and I’m one of the executives here at Hooli – sorry we haven’t been introduced before, by the way. I’m usually much more proactive in attending and welcoming everyone who comes through the Hooli offices, but it would appear that I have been lax in my manners. Anyway, back to the matter at hand, I wanted to make sure that someone has informed you that Gavin was called away last-minute for an emergency meeting at an affiliate’s office. As a result of that, Gavin won’t be returning to the Hooli offices today. I offer my sincerest apologies that this information wasn’t made known to you sooner, Mr. Hendricks.”

“Um, Richard’s fine.” The other man, mumbled back in response. “And um, it’s okay, uh Jared?” He asked, twisting his hands in his lap and chuckling awkwardly when Jared nodded encouragingly. “Thanks for letting me know, that was nice of you. I’ll just uh – well, I guess I’ll just head out then.”

Up close, Richard’s sharp check bones and boyish features reminded Jared of the Grecian marble figures he had seen at the Legion of Honor museum while on a business trip to San Francisco a few months back. However, where the statues were imposing and proud, Richard seemed demure and uncertain. The way Richard stumbled over his words as he talked, his head sort of bobbling up and down, his hands animated but without any real intention behind them were familiar as well. Kind of like watching a Muppet talk but in human form.

“It was uh nice to meet you though, Jared,” Richard offered as he stood too quickly to be natural.

Jared stood along with the other man and held out his hand, “It was nice to meet you too, Richard.”

Richard took the offered hand and shook it weakly, a small smile appearing on his face as he looked at Jared.

“I hope to see you around the office again soon.” Jared said after Richard let go and shuffled over to the elevator.

To his dismay, Jared watched as the other man cringe minutely, shoulders curving inward at the comment, eyes dropping to the floor. Unsure of what he said wrong, Jared tried to apologize but Richard spoke up first, a forced smile making its way across his face when he met Jared’s eyes again.

“I’m sure you will,” Richard said, tone self-deprecating and bitter. He jammed his finger against the elevator button a few times before sinking his fists into his hoodie pockets. “Gavin snaps his fingers and I come running. It’s what I’m fucking good for.”

Although Jared didn’t understand why the moment had turned, he felt guilt pool at the bottom of his stomach like a heavy weight as the other man’s face crumpled before settling into a faint sneer.

“Bye, Jared.” Richard called out evenly as he darted into the opening elevator, quickly pressing at the button for the ground floor.

“Goodbye, Richard.” Jared called back as the doors slid shut, leaving Jared alone with the feeling that he was missing something huge.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jared returns to work and tries to keep his mind on pleasant thoughts, but things rarely go Jared's way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's super strange that I banged out this chapter so quickly, even though it's still super short. I appreciate those who are reading, thanks!

The next day, Jared arrived to work still apprehensive over the events of the previous evening. 

Crossing through the Hooli cafeteria, Jared fretted over whether he had overstepped a boundary by approaching Richard at all. If Gavin had wanted to tell him about the other man he would have done so at the start, Jared reasoned grabbing a mug from one of the caddies. Gavin probably preferred that whatever the relationship he had with Richard remained unacknowledged, Jared thought as he plucked a Lipton tea bag from the self-serve shelf before filling his mug with hot water and heading back towards the exit. What really weighed on Jared’s mind as he made his way through the Hooli halls, sipping his tea, was Richard. He had been visibly upset by their conversation, Jared recalled, remembering the way the other man’s smile had dropped so suddenly at Jared’s mention of seeing him around the offices again. If only Jared could pinpoint why a comment so seemingly benign had been so distressing to the other man.

Luckily the bizarre corporate culture of Hooli allowed Jared a much needed distraction from those unpleasant thoughts as his schedule was filled with team building events for most of the morning, leaving him fewer opportunities to ruminate on his unfortunate faux pas for too long. He had three kickball matches to referee, which would be a fun break from the usual day-to-day business operations, as well as a deposition to oversee all before lunch. Rounding up the programmers on his roster for the first game, Jared pushed Richard out of his mind and forced the “fun boss smile” he had manufactured many months ago onto his face, slapping backs and reciting the same pep talk he delivered every match, leading the group of men out towards the company lawn. 

He had work to do.

 

***

 

“Great game, guys!” Jared yelled to a group of sweaty programmers filing back into the building. “Next week we will be playing capture-the-flag; attendance is mandatory.”

Ignoring the barely contained groans from some of the gawkier employees, Jared corralled the men back to their sea of cubicles, catching sight of some of the more muscular programmers exchanging high-fives in celebration of their win. Jared had heard from the other members on his team that these men were sometimes referred to as “brogrammers,” possibly because of their frattish personalities and athletic builds. Watching them snicker as a smaller employee tripped on his way up the staircase, Jared cringed slightly at the display of mean-spiritedness. Approaching the man who tripped – Bighetti or was it Bighead? – Jared patted the other man on the back after he righted himself in support and gave the brogrammers a stern look. While appearing somewhat mollified, the clique also just seemed to quickly refocus their sights on the heavy-set man from marketing who was still sweating profusely through his shirt, laughing loudly at the dark spot blooming on his lower back.

“Don’t worry about them. We all know they’re dicks. It doesn’t really bother any of us anymore.”

Turning back to the programmer – Bigheadi? Jared smiled good-naturedly, while inside he was fuming over the unprofessional behavior he was witnessing.

“While I appreciate your stiff upper lip, it is unfortunate that there are employees at this company who feel like they must suffer through unjust treatment rather than demand a respectful and professional work environment. I want you to know, however, that I will be placing their names on a list of employees to watch out for future disorderly conduct. I don’t like hearing that we have a problematic group of employees who aren’t receiving formal reprimands for improper behavior.”

Bigheadi smiled widely, although uncertainly, like he didn’t fully understand why Jared would take any action against the other men, and nodded. “Um cool, dude. Thanks,” the shorter man said, tone disbelieving.

Jared just smiled back and watched as the programmer continued walking, returning to work.

Checking his watch, Jared took a right down the hallway towards the elevators, making a mental note to follow through on those employee character watchlists he had mentioned to Bigheadi. Slipping his work phone out of his pocket, Jared flipped through his email as he walked, coming to a stop at the sliding doors before pressing the bottom for the fifth floor. Noticing that his deposition had been pushed back into the late afternoon, Jared sighed in annoyance before noticing an email from the guys in legal. Scrolling through it quickly as he entered the mostly empty elevator, it looked like those contracts had taken them longer to revise than they had projected but were ready to be delivered to Gavin. Jared hummed quietly to himself as he mentally scanned through Gavin’s schedule for the day. If things were running accordingly, Gavin would be in his office about now, so if Jared swung by for final approvals, the contracts could be distributed before Jared took a break for lunch.

Exiting the elevator, Jared took a quick detour to grab the folder from legal before doubling back to Gavin’s office. Opening the door to reception, Jared smiled politely at the receptionist who looked up disinterestedly only to move her gaze back to her computer screen soon after.

“Mr. Belson is currently in a meeting.” She said flatly, eyes locked on the screen.

They really needed to consider finding someone else to fill this position, Jared thought as he looked over towards Gavin’s office, brow furrowing when he realized that the interior shades had been lowered to obscure visitor’s view inside. Gavin rarely lowered the shades when conducting business, generally saving them for sessions with Denpak, who – if Jared was correct – wasn’t scheduled to come in for another hour. Lowering himself into one of the couches, Jared waited in quiet confusion, idly flipping through his work email while he waited.

After about ten minutes, Jared heard the click of a lock and looked up to see Gavin’s door crack open. Jared expected to see a “suit” emerge, possibly a competitor who Gavin had called in to enact some kind of psychological warfare against. To Jared’s surprise, a stumbling Richard slipped out of the office, face red and mouth pressed thin. Behind him, the large shades obscuring the C.E.O.’s office slowly began to slide up the glass, revealing the man himself stationed behind his desk. Dressed in a pair of dark skinny jeans and a button up, Richard was tugging self-consciously at his sleeves as he rushed towards the private elevator across the room. Biting his lip, Richard saw Jared at the couches and quickly looked away, hunching his shoulders as though attempting to make himself smaller, less noticeable.

Jared tried to contain the quick flash of hurt he felt as he realized that the other man would rather ignore his presence than acknowledge him with even the smallest of greetings. But then he watched Richard turn his attention back to the C.E.O., who Jared noticed had his sights on Richard as well, and squirm anxiously as Gavin waved shortly, a smirk on his face. Richard raised his hand and waved back weakly, lips pale with the severe press of his mouth. His eyes then dropped to the ground as the elevator slid open and before he disappeared inside, he glanced up quickly at Jared one last time, as though he was scared to look but couldn’t stop himself. 

The shame that Jared catalogued in that short moment was paralyzing.

Glued to his seat, Jared stared at the closed elevator doors for several beats before the sound of a delicately cleared throat and an annoyed, “Mr. Belson is available now” brought him back to himself. Standing, Jared collected his things before approaching Gavin’s office warily.

At the doorway, Jared hovered for a moment before he knocked lightly on the frame to draw the other man’s attention.

“Gavin, I have those contracts for your approval.”

Gavin, already fully emerged in his phone, glanced up and made a gesture for Jared to approach his desk. 

“Yeah? Come on over.”

As Jared approached he noticed a stale scent lingering within the office, like sweat or maybe something else. The faint odor quickly dissipated, however, as the low hum of the AC could be heard circulating the air within the room. After briefly discussing the contents of the contracts with Gavin, the C.E.O. gave his thumbs up and Jared was given permission to leave. With his belongings in hand, Jared made for the door when he noticed something odd about the glass window that separated Gavin’s office from reception. There, in the middle of the large glass panel, was a set of handprints, about shoulder width apart, smudged against the surface, only barely noticeable. But it was what laid between them that made Jared’s insides freeze in horror. Between the set of handprints was a patch of what looked like condensation, the kind that usually appeared when you breathed too heavily on a mirror or a window. Remembering the uneven redness of Richard’s face, Jared fearfully wondered, as he exited the office, what had been going on behind those shades before he had arrived.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jared tries to avoid getting involved and fails.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I only began writing this fanfic because I need there to be like 500% more content in this community because I am refreshing this the Silicon Valley tag way too much to be healthy.
> 
> If you have an idea for a fanfic, I urge you to give writing a go. I will be your biggest fan. Promise.

Life went on and little changed as a result of Jared’s mortifying discovery in Gavin’s office.

Jared came to work. Advised Gavin through small company acquisitions. Ate lunch in the cafeteria with Sarah and Ashok from accounting. Mentored socially awkward programmers on how to pitch a baseball across the plate rather than into the ground. On occasion, he saw Richard too.

Jared tried to seem unaffected by the other man’s presence whenever they did cross paths, going so far as to purposely keep Richard out of his direct line of sight, forcing the other man to hover somewhere in his peripherals if he happened to be in the offices. If Richard noticed this carefully crafted indifference, Jared couldn’t tell, which he supposed, was the point.

Slipping into a mindset of avoidance, Jared found himself defaulting to a colder, cerebral mentality to help disassociate from the confusing emotions that were clambering for attention in his head. Whereas before he had always made a conscious effort to direct a kind smile in Richard’s direction, now Jared made it his habit to make a straight b-line for Gavin’s office on entrance, not even wasting the seconds lost in greeting the receptionist who Jared figured couldn’t possibly care less. For most of his career, Jared had always tried to maintain a personable demeanor in the work place, taking the time to let those around him know that they weren’t just another cog in the corporate machine. However, since Jared had begun to piece together the underlying threads of Richard and Gavin’s relationship, he felt himself pulling back from his usual geniality. 

Embarrassment and fear were probably the biggest contributing factors in that. 

Jared was by no means delusional to the ways of the world. Whatever Gavin and Richard had been doing behind those walls had been inappropriate for the work environment to say the least and an uncomfortable revelation for Jared. But after years working his way up the ladder, Jared knew how to play the corporate game and knew that bringing attention to such a discovery would do little more than place a target on his back. These types of dalliances were kept “hush hush” for a reason and Jared had stuck his nose where it didn’t belong, had looked too closely and now was privy to information that had the potential to be damaging.

For the sake of the company and for the sake of his job, Jared planned to put the whole incident behind him and avoid the problem until it went away.

Unfortunately, his avoidance tactics weren’t always successful and after four days of successfully evading contact with Richard, Jared’s luck came to an end.

One of the acquisition scouts had hit gold with a small startup who excelled in integrated cloud platform modules, but were vastly undervaluing the worth of their design, and if Gavin green lighted his team with some urgency than they could have the deal wrapped up by the end of the week. Taking long strides down the hallway, Jared pushed through the reception doors at full momentum only to stop dead in his tracks when he spotted Richard already occupying Gavin’s attention. 

The shades were up and from his spot several feet from the office door Gavin and Richard were positioned in clear view. Standing behind his massive mahogany desk, Gavin flung something down on its surface, smirking expectantly at Richard who was standing across from him, once again fidgeting with the sleeves of his shirt. Squinting his eyes, Jared realized that what Gavin had flung was an envelope, one that appeared to be thickly packed. When the envelope hit the desk, Richard gave Gavin a wary look before tentatively reaching out to retrieve it, only for Gavin’s own hand to dart out, forming what looked like a crushing grip around the other man’s wrist. From the wince that crossed Richard’s face, Jared had to assume that the forceful restraint of Gavin’s hand was painful. Words were exchanged between them and although Jared couldn’t hear them, he did see as Richard gave a small nod of his head in acknowledgement.

A prostitute then, Jared thought as he watched Gavin let go of the other man’s wrist, allowing Richard the mobility to snatch the thick manila envelope off the desk and turn to leave. But maybe he prefers the term escort— Before the thought could go any further, Jared remembered that it was none of his business. What Richard did was none of his business.

And when the man himself rushed out of the office a moment later, clutching what Jared assumed to be his pay to his chest, he looked up, eyes connecting with Jared’s, wide and… expectant? Fighting the urge to react, Jared summoned the dispassionate man he had come to wear like a second skin and looked passed the other man’s gaze, through him, like Richard wasn’t even there.

“Gavin,” he called out as he brushed past Richard and into the doorway, forcing his expression to be bland and unaffected even though his insides rolled with the discomfort of what he had just done. “I have something for you that we might want to pursue.”

 

***

 

Two weeks had passed since then and Jared was beginning to feel better, less like the idea of seeing Richard would provoke a full blown panic attack and cost him his career. After all, just because Jared couldn’t tell anyone the nature of Richard and Gavin’s arrangement didn’t mean Jared had to treat the other man like some kind of leper.

I’ll start off small, Jared thought, intending to walk past reception without actually entering. Just to get a glance. Peering through the window, Jared zoned in on Richard immediately, who was slouched in a loveseat in the corner, his hands fiddling with a crushed soda can. A smile started to form on Jared’s face until he noticed the dark splotch on the outer corner of the other man’s cheek. From a distance, the discolored patch of skin almost looked like a shadow, but when Richard turned his head the full expanse of the yellowing bruise was undeniable.

Jared held in a shocked gasp, a hand flying up to press against his own chest for lack of a better expression of his dismay.

Just then Richard raised his eyes and through the window saw Jared looking back at him. At a lost, Jared held up a hand and waved. Jared watched as Richard’s brow furrowed before straightening out again, returning the small gesture through the window. And right when Jared thought that maybe this encounter had been worth the trip, Richard eyes were pulled to the side, his head whipping towards the direction of Gavin’s office, his body moving into a standing position all in one fluid jolt of anxious energy.

Jared walked away then, not thinking he could handle the image of Richard shuffling, resigned towards the fate that awaited him, and unwilling to watch the shades roll down that glass wall.

 

***

 

Two hours later, Jared powered down his laptop, slipped it into his messenger bag and made his way out of the mostly empty offices.

It was chilly outside, atypical for the time of year, but after spending the past eight hours bouncing from conference room to conference room, Jared felt a rush of relief as a cool breeze brushed across his tired face as he pushed open the lobby door that led him to his temporary freedom. Strolling across the Hooli campus towards the executive lot, Jared marveled at the serene silence that had settled in the absence of the hundreds of bustling bodies that typically wandered around the building every day. Jared closed his eyes for a moment, trusting his legs to keep him on the path, breathing in deeply, hoping to file away this brief period of tranquility for when he might need it in the upcoming week.

“Wait! Just wait, Erlich!”

Jared’s eyes flew open as a familiar but panicked voice reached his ears. Following the concrete path until it led out to the car lot at the side of the building, Jared could make out a hunched figure sitting on the curb in front of the shuttle port in the distance. With his face resting in the palm of his hand, Richard’s curly mop of brown hair hung low over his eyes, his other hand clutching a cellphone to his ear.

“Fuck, Erlich. Please. I’m good for the money, just— Fuck. Fuck, don’t hang up!”

Richard looked at the phone in disbelief before releasing a frustrated, guttural groan into the empty air. Clearing his throat lightly, Jared saw Richard jerk violently in response, bright blue eyes darting around until his eyes landed on the approaching executive.

“Hi.” Jared greeted, his hand coming up to grip nervously at the strap of his messenger bag.

“Uh, Jesus. Fuck uh— Hey.” Richard responded flustered, pushing himself to his feet clumsily, coming to stand almost uncomfortably close to the other man.

“Can I offer you a ride somewhere, Mr. Hendricks?” Jared asked, struggling to maintain eye contact with the other man standing so close. “I don’t think the Hooli campus shuttles run this late.”

“Um it’s Richard, remember?” The other man chuckled weakly, his eyes shifting from the ground up to Jared and then back down again, his foot kicking out to scuff timidly against the ground.

Feeling like the tension between them was reaching critical mass, Jared paused and then took a deep breath, trying to center himself before he asked again, calmly and sincerely, “Richard, can I offer you a ride?”

Richard’s face crumpled for a split second before returning to a bitter sort of half-sneer, an expression that seemed more self-directed than anything else. “I don’t know. I’m not sure I know anywhere you could take me.”

“I’m sorry?” Jared asked, taken aback.

“That, on the phone—“ Richard explained. “That was my landlord, I guess? I think he just kicked me out of the house.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, Richard. And if this is too forward of me, I apologize, but may I ask what would provoke him to evict you on such short notice?”

Richard’s face turned a light pink and he brought up a hand to rub anxiously at the back of his neck.

“I’m uh, I’m short on my rent this month.” He admitted. “Erlich is super anal about deadlines, he doesn’t _do_ charity.”

From the way Richard placed extra emphasis on the word, Jared got the feeling that perhaps Richard was quoting something that had been said to him verbatim.

“How much are you missing?” Jared inquired politely.

“Two hundred fifty,” Richard replied. “Which doesn’t seem like much, but Elrich isn’t about to hand out any favors, especially to me.”

Jared thought briefly on the consequences of what he was about to offer, but after watching the look of resigned dread wash over the other man’s face, he decided that whatever the consequence, it would be worth it to remove that look immediately.

“I want to give you something, Richard.” Jared began hesitantly, taking care to chose his words wisely. “And I want you to think of it, not as charity or a favor, but as an investment in your wellbeing.”

Jared pulled out his wallet, thumbing a few bills from the leather folds before holding them out to the other man, but Richard only stared at the proffered bills, unmoving.

“I can’t take that from you,” Richard said quietly, eyes glued to the money. “That’s too generous, it’s too much.” Then a look came over Richard’s face and his eyes glazed over. “What do you want for it?”

Jared froze and shock his head, letting out an exhale of panicked clarifications before Richard got the wrong idea. “No, no, no. Nothing. All I want is for you to have this money so that you can pay your rent, do you understand? I want nothing from you.”

Richards face scrunched up in confusion, which admittedly would have been cute if it weren’t for the seriousness of the situation.

“Why?” Richard asked, still staring intently at the twenties clutched in Jared’s hand. “All you know about me is that I fuck your boss. Why would you do this for me?”

Jared swallowed hard around the lump in his throat, “I don’t like seeing people get mistreated.”

Richard laughed without humor, his head jerking back with the motion.

“What makes you think I’ve been mistreated?” he asked.

Refusing to back down, Jared replied, tone even, but unyielding “I don’t just think it, Richard. I _know_.”

A long silence followed.

“Tell me I’m wrong, Richard and I’ll back off,” Jared promised, hoping his voice conveyed his concern. “It doesn’t bother me— what you do for money, I mean. I don’t care. You just seem so unhappy.”

Richard didn’t respond for a moment, but the vicious way he was biting his bottom lip betrayed the internal battle that was taking place inside of his head. Not wanting to overwhelm him, Jared remained silent, observing how the orange glow of the slowly setting sun saturated the skin of Richard’s pale face, bleeding color into the pallid man. Around them, Jared could hear the sound of crickets chirping and the infrequent rush of passing cars. When a few minutes passed and Richard had yet to say anything in response, it became clear to Jared that maybe it was too soon to open up this can of worms just yet and that baby steps were in order.

“Are you hungry?” Jared asked, pitching his voice low and gentle, so as not to startle the man after standing in silence for so long.

“What?” Richard asked, blinking slowly as though coming out of a daze.

“I asked if you were hungry.” Jared repeated patiently. “I know this terribly mediocre diner down the road that serves weak coffee and chewy eggs, but I love it there. I’ve never seen another Hooli employee inside that building, so to me it’s like my own private paradise, you know? Right in the middle of the technophile hellscape that is Palo Alto. Would you like to go get something to eat with me?”

For a second, Richard appeared stunned but then like a dam bursting he dissolved into a fit of soft, high-pitched giggles, the force of his laughter shaking his body like a mild seizure. Once he had calmed himself from the initial absurdity of the other man’s pitch, Richard nodded, scratching nervously at the back of his neck, a smile loosely pulling at his lips.

“Going for the hard sell, huh?” he asked, tone playful and eyes bright.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jared and Richard talk over dinner. There's fluff, real talk, and a hint of a little something, something…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to warn y'all, that if you're waiting for the eventual Jared/Richard sex'em-up that will obviously make its appearance in this story, be aware that you'll hafta wait a little longer. I'm slow burning this like nobody's business. Be warned though, the following interlude will include some Gavin on Richard action that could be read as veering into dubious consent territory, but is more transactional than anything else. Anyway, thanks for reading!

“You were right, this is terrible.” Richard giggled, spearing a rubbery egg onto his fork and then smearing it through the stream of syrup running down his stack of pancakes.

“At least the company is good,” Jared returned brightly, taking a neat bite of his Reuben, the crunch of the stale bread audible in the nearly empty diner.

“You mean our waitress?” Richard asked, his face doing that scrunchy thing it did when he was confused. “She’s the worst part. She spilled coffee everywhere.”

Jared laughed. “I mean you, silly.”

Richard choked on his food in surprise, coughing around the short bout of laughter that followed.

“You have no idea.” Richard said when he had regained enough composure to speak again. “I’m actually terrible company 95% of the time.”

Jared grinned undeterred. “I must be experiencing that elusive 5% then.”

Burying his face in his hands, Richard let out an exaggerated sigh, peaking at Jared through the cracks between his fingers.

“I want to be mad at you for saying that, but it made me feel good weirdly enough.”

Watching the other man respond so playfully to a few kind words was breathtaking and Jared found his grin growing wider and wider as Richard snorted good-naturedly into his mug. They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, each of them prodding at their plates.

“You probably don’t want to talk about work, but I um— I don’t really know what else to talk about to be honest,” Richard said after a few minutes, fumbling with the ceramic handle of his mug as he set his coffee down.

“You have questions?” Jared asked, bringing his own mug to his lips.

“Uh-huh, yeah. Like what do you actually do at Hooli?”

“Oh,” Jared said. “I’m a business development executive. Really, I have a couple of roles. Like, I negotiate acquisitions of other companies; sometimes I analyze and present joint venture concepts for the board to see where we could expand on our company affiliations. I also have some responsibilities in adjusting current marketing approaches as it’s needed.”

“Sounds important.” Richard said, politely interested. “Do you like it?” He added.

“Well, there are a number of rewards and benefits to my position certainly, being a part of one of the leading innovators in the country is certainly a humbling position to find yourself in. Everyday is a new challenge to grow from.”

“Wow.” Richard said, drawing out the word, looking unimpressed. “It’s crazy how you used so many words to say almost nothing about how you feel about your job.”

“How are your eggs?” Jared asked in response, evading the statement entirely.

“Terrible.” Richard said within the same beat. “You hate it, don’t you?”

In a bid for deflection, Jared shrugged. “It’s not where I thought I’d end up,” he admitted noncommittally.

“It’s just—” Richard started, mouth curving once, twice around the words that seemed to have momentarily become stuck in his throat. “Back there, you said I seemed unhappy. You seem unhappy too, Jared.”

“Yeah.” Jared conceded, looking down for a moment before meeting Richard’s curious gaze again. “Yeah, I think that would be a fair assessment.”

“Do you think other people are happy? Like with their lives?” Richard asked, stabbing disinterestedly at his pancakes still watching Jared. “I feel like I haven’t seen a happy human being since moving to this town. This place is fucking miserable.”

“Not always.” Jared defended quickly, not quite sure why he felt the need.

“But not often enough to justify living here.” Richard finished, the left side of his mouth pulling tight across his cheek.

“At least we have our health,” Jared said, searching for a silver lining to end the line of thought on.

“Speak for yourself.” Richard shot back.

“Oh.” Jared squeaked out, guilt weighing down his stomach. “Are you ok, Richard?”

“Oh, it’s nothing serious.” Richard reassured him, flopping his hand out in a sort of “it’s whatever” gesture. “I have an overactive stress response, which doesn’t help with my anxiety or my fucked up stomach problems. I see a doctor for it, but it’s manageable.”

“I’m guessing that the medical bills aren’t fun to foot.”

“Nah, they’re a blast.” Richard snarked back, catching himself and taking a deep breath. “I think I’m done,” he said evenly. “How about you?”

“Yeah, let me just get the bill.” Jared said, moving to stand.

“Hey wait,” Richard said, reaching out to grab a hold of Jared’s arm before he could slip completely free of the booth. “I’ve got some money on me.”

“No, Richard. This was my treat, remember?”

“C’mon, please.” Richard pleaded, pulling a few crumbled bills from his jeans. “It’s not enough, but I’ll get you back another time.”

The money forced into Jared’s hand was barely enough to cover the coffee and maybe a fourth of his plate and Jared wanted to insist that the other man hold onto it, but Richard looked close to begging, so he just nodded and walked over to the counter with their ticket. Returning to their table a few minutes later, he noticed that Richard’s eyes were darting around nervously and he was tugging at his sleeves again.

“Thanks for the food, I don’t— um, I should get out of your hair now. This was nice and—”

“Richard, if you want, you can stay at my place,” Jared interrupted. “Just until your landlord calms down. It’ll give you some time to organize your thoughts. Get a plan in order.”

Richard’s mouth opened like he was going to speak, but he aborted the motion when the words failed to come, his mouth clicking shut. Instead he just nodded shortly, jerking his head up and down, shoulders stiff. A hesitant upward curve at the corner of his mouth was the only sign that Richard was actually happy about agreeing to Jared’s offer. Otherwise his body had hunched over, like it often seem to do when he was uncomfortable.

The drive to Jared’s apartment was tense. Richard had clammed up at some point between leaving the diner and buckling up and was staring resolutely out the passenger window of Jared’s Chevy Volt. Deciding to honor Richard’s need for space, Jared reframed from forcing conversation; instead turning up the volume of the light jazz station he usually listened to on his way to and from work, nodding his head distractedly to the music. When they were close, Jared glanced over at the other man to see how he was doing, surprised to discover Richard watching him intently from the adjacent seat. Their eyes met across the shift gear and Richard blushed a light pink before looking away again.

Soon they arrived at a small apartment complex, where Jared parked in an assigned space near the staircase. Shutting the car off and stepping out his side of the car, Jared waited for Richard to do the same.

“C’mon.” Jared entreated, holding a hand out in welcome as he rounded the car and walked toward the steps. “It’s getting cold out.”

Richard followed shyly, shuffling up the staircase and standing awkward behind Jared while the taller man worked his key into the lock. Pushing into the entryway, Jared ushered Richard inside before shutting the front door, flicking on a few lights as he moved further into the apartment.

“Want to watch a movie?” Jared asked, noticing that Richard was still locked somewhere inside his head.

Richard nodded and moved slowly over to the loveseat in front of the television, looking expectantly at Jared who was puttering around in the adjoining kitchen area.

“Want something to drink?” Jared called out, filling up a glass of water for himself.

“Uh, sure.” Richard replied, running his fingertips over the quilt that hung over loveseat’s red cushions.

Pressing a glass into Richard’s hand, Jared plopped down on the space beside him and reached for the remote on the side table.

“What do you want to watch?” Jared asked, flipping through channels, regarding Richard through the corner of his eye.

“Whatever.” Richard prompted, sinking into the cushions. “I don’t mind.”

Jared flipped channels for a little while longer before landing on the Lifetime network where a young Julia Roberts filled the screen.

“Oh! _Pretty Woman_ is one of my favorite Julia Robert’s films.” Jared gushed, setting the remote down and resting his hands in his lap.

“Yeah?” Richard asked, staring at the television. “What’s it about?”

“Umm.” Jared stammered, realizing his potential misstep. “It’s about a sex worker who falls in love with a rich business man. She impresses him with her intelligence and inner beauty and he shows her the finer side of life and that love does exist. Do you— would you rather we watch something else?”

Richard shrugged. “Meh,” he said, taking a sip of his water. “I’d like to see what the big deal is about.”

Side by side on the loveseat, Jared and Richard huddled in their prospective corners for a while, close but separate. However as the evening went on, the couch’s old cushions began to sink inward a quarter of the way through the movie and Jared found that the other man had begun to lean against his arm. Subtly glancing over, Richard seemed unfazed by the new point of contact, even pressing into Jared’s side when he adjusted in his seat.

“What shit continuity.” Richard complained, waving his hand at the screen. “One second she’s eating a croissant and the next it’s a pancake. Who edits these movies?”

Jared laughed, delighted by the insight. “I hadn’t noticed that before actually.”

Richard giggled. “It’s like a curse,” he quipped, burrowing deeper into the cushions behind him.

Richard spent the rest of the movie playfully complaining about aspects of the narrative and production, going to so far as to gawk in repulsed delight when Richard Gere’s character climbed the fire escape to woo Julia Robert’s character in the final culminating scene.

Even though Jared enjoyed the gooey-hearted nature of the film, he also marveled at Richard’s child-like wonder at the film’s eccentricities.

“If only we were all so lucky,” Richard yawned, body bumping into Jared’s as he stretched his arms.

“Oh I’m sorry!” Jared said, realizing that his guest was tired. “Here. My bedroom is just through that door on the left. There are fresh sheets on the bed and if you want to borrow some sweatpants to sleep in they’ll be in the bottom drawer of the large dresser. Please help yourself.” Jared rushed out, pointing to the door closest to the kitchen.

“Oh no, Jared. I can take the couch, I won’t put you out like that,” Richard twittered out, patting the cushions. “Really. I’ll be fine out here.”

“No, no, no. You’re my guest, Richard.” Jared argued, standing up to patter over to the linen closet, pulling out a spare pillow. “Please take my bed, I insist.”

Not knowing how to argue the point any further, Richard just nodded in assent, slipping out of his red hoodie and placing it onto the kitchen counter.

“Do you need anything?” Jared asked as the other man hovered uncertainly between the kitchen and the bedroom. 

“Uh no.” Richard answered quickly, moving closer to Jared while struggling to find the right words. “I— uh, owe you, Jared. For everything tonight. It helped. All of it.”

Jared smiled, reaching out to lightly grasp Richard’s elbow affectionately.

“Thank you, Richard. But I hope it’s clear that there is no obligation here. You don’t owe me anything.”

Richard just stared at him, like he was something impossible. And then, before Jared could prepare himself for it, Richard tilted his head up, dragging his mouth across Jared’s in a quick, playful kiss, which ended almost as quickly as it begun.

“Goodnight.” Richard whispered, slipping into Jared’s bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Left alone in the living room with lips that tingled with the ghost of Richard’s sweet kiss, Jared took a deep breath and then dug into his wallet for the wad of bills that Richard had refused to take in the Hooli parking lot. Walking over to the other man’s red hoodie, Jared shoved the money into one of the pockets before turning out the light and heading to the loveseat. Assuming the fetal position, Jared pulled the quilt that hung over the side onto his body, snuggling into the plush pillow beneath his tired face. 

Richard had kissed him. 

Jared fell into a deep sleep almost immediately.

 

***

 

The next morning Jared woke up to an empty apartment and a hand-written note on his kitchen counter, under which was the stack of bills Jared had snuck into Richard’s hoodie the night before.

The note read:

_Jared, thank you for last night. I had fun. I appreciate you offering me that money, but I can’t take it. I need to figure this out by myself. See you around. Richard._


	5. Interlude I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Richard's first "meeting" with Gavin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sex-scenes-are-necessary-for-rent-boy-fics-but-porn-is-difficult-to-write-sorry-sorry-sorry!

What was he doing here? What had he been thinking? He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t. He couldn’t. 

Feeling a hand twist into his curls, ruffling the top, Richard realized that this was it. No turning back. 

“You my guy?”

“Mr. Belson, hello.” Richard stammered rising from his seat, wiping his sweaty palm onto his pant leg before reaching out for a handshake.

The C.E.O. quirked his eyebrow at the gesture, but shook Richard’s hand firmly anyway.

“Enough of that,” Gavin said after a moment, moving just slightly behind Richard so as to wrap his arm around the other man’s back, his hand coming to rest just barely above his waist. Richard shivered as the other man guided him forward, embarrassed at the blatant public touching. Looking up once Gavin had corralled him into the elevator he had arrived in, Richard caught sight of a lofty figure watching intently from the other side of the room. He was strikingly thin, way too much so for his height, and his eyes held a calculating intelligence, studying Richard like he was an equation to solve. Before Richard could read any further into the other man’s expression, the elevator doors slid shut, leaving him alone with the C.E.O., whose hand was wandering lower and lower down Richard’s back. A minute later the elevator deposited them into Gavin’s private garage where a town car complete with a fully suited driver and a section divider was waiting for them.

“Get in the car.” Gavin ordered, entering through his own side of the vehicle.

Following suit, Richard climbed in on his side and began to hyperventilate as the car started to move. They drove in silence for almost 15 minutes, Richard nervously watching the other man while he sat engrossed in his phone, the only indication that he remembered Richard’s presence coming down to the stray hand resting on the younger man’s knee. When Richard thought he might burst with the tension steadily building inside him, Gavin pocketed his phone, turning to Richard, eyebrow cocked and eyes evaluating.

“You’re on the clock for two hours, right?” He asked gruffly, looking in every way unimpressed by the man before him.

Richard nodded a little too enthusiastically, head bobbing longer than necessary. “Uh yeah, yes. Two hours.”

Barely waiting for Richard to finish speaking, Gavin’s hand crossed the distance between them, sliding between Richard’s thighs and brushing firmly against his crotch. Richard gasped loudly tensing up, the arm furthest away from Gavin flying out to brace against the car window.

“Nervous?” Gavin asked, kneading his palm against the other man’s dick. “Get over it. Straddle me. Be quick.”

In the back of the corporate limo, Richard clumsily clambered over to the other man, slinging a leg over his hip and hovering uncertainly over the C.E.O.’s lap. Rolling his eyes, Gavin grasped Richard’s thighs and pushed him the rest of the way down, until his ass was snuggly seated over his crotch. With a hand on Richard’s fly, Gavin slowly unzipped the quivering man’s corduroys, smiling at the lack of underwear before guiding Richard’s cock from his pants.

“Richard Hendricks.” Gavin breathed, gripping him in a loose fist.

“Mr. Belson?” Richard rasped, struggling to stay still as the other man began slowly jerking him off.

“Call me Gavin.” The C.E.O. said, moving his free hand to the back of Richard’s neck, squeezing lightly before his fingers traveled higher to tangle into the other man’s curls.

“Gavin.” Richard gasped, when the other man tightened his hold.

“Good boy. Now tell me something.”

Richard whined softly as his cock hardened under the other man’s attentions, savoring the soft-spoken praise even though he distrusted the man saying the words.

“Yes?” He asked voice pitched lower than before, his arousal transparent by the small tremor that shook through the one word.

“Is it true,” Gavin began, the smirk on his face deepening as he watched the younger man struggled to keep his composure. “That you applied to work at Hooli about 4 months ago?”

Richard squirmed violently on Gavin’s lap, both at the question and the other man’s increasing tempo on his cock. Dipping his head forward, Richard flung out an arm over Gavin’s shoulder to grip at the top of the leather car seat, worried that if they were to continue at this pace he would fall over. Smearing the pre-cum weeping from the head, Gavin used the natural lubrication to glide his hand more smoothly up and down Richard’s length.

“Yes.” Richard answered after a moment. Mortification bloomed in his chest like a creeping heat even as his hips stuttered every now and then in aborted attempts to rub against the other man. 

“Good boy,” Gavin murmured, releasing the hand curled in Richard’s hair only to push two fingers into the other man’s mouth. “Suck,” he ordered.

A minute later, Gavin removed his fingers from Richard’s mouth with a wet pop, slipping the hand down the back of Richard’s pants until his fingers were resting against his hole.

“What did you use for your portfolio in your interview?” Gavin asked, waiting. 

“I— I developed an ahhhhh— app.” Richard yipped as one of the slippery fingers teased at the rim of his asshole, rubbing against the puckered skin before pushing inside. “Songwriters can screen uh— their mmmm-music for copyrighted materials.”

Pushing in the second finger, Gavin laughed as the younger man gave a full body shudder above him. “Did you get the opportunity to demo it?”

Richard shook his head, his face heating up. “No. They didn’t like my pitch. I— fuck, I didn’t make it passed the interview.”

Gavin’s fingers scissored suddenly causing Richard to let out a startled moan, which was shortly followed by a frustrated whine when Gavin removed his hand from Richard’s cock. Grasping the other man’s jaw, Gavin yanked Richards face closer to his own, laughing meanly at the fucked out expression he saw.

“I guess it was for the best,” Gavin said, adding a third finger, pressing deep and hitting a bundle of nerves that made Richard writhe uncontrollably from the jolt of pleasure that traveled down his spine, all from a small nudge of the C.E.O.’s fingertips. “You’re so much better at this.”

Wrenching his face into the other man’s shoulder, Richard felt his heart constrict all at once, his eyes slamming shut, wishing that he could disappear but knowing he was trapped. He needed to do this, he reminded himself, shaking. He needed the money.

Fucking his fingers in and out of the other man while Richard struggled to forget how demeaning the whole thing was, Gavin absentmindedly observed him, cataloging every humiliating whimper and moan, saving them for another time. Another humiliation.

Forcing his head up, Richard gave Gavin a desperate look, eyes wide and pitiful.

“I want that ass loose for later,” Gavin grunted, pumping his fingers into the younger man at an unrelenting speed. “You’re so tight. Did I wander upon a virgin hole, I wonder?”

No, Richard thought. He had been with men before, not many, but a few. Gavin didn’t wait for an answer though. The older man grasped his cock again and squeezed, flicking his thumb over the tip.

“Come for me.” Gavin growled, his hands too rough, his voice too mean.

Richard struggled for a moment, feeling stuck, not wanting to let himself fall to the man beneath him but also feeling like he was on the cusp of exploding.

“Come.” Gavin barked, twisting his wrist as his hand jerked Richard’s dick one last time.

Heart pounding in his throat, Richard’s dick spasmed as he came into the older man’s hand, the pulsing aftershocks of the hard-earned orgasm leaving him feeling limp and lethargic.

The car came to a stop and Richard felt a large hand slap lightly at his cheek. “Up we go, Richie. You’re still mine for a little while longer.”

“Ok.” Richard mumbled, embarrassed for collapsing on top of the older man, quickly sliding off of him and straightening up in the seat over. Richard cried out in annoyance when the other man dragged his cum-stained hand over Richard’s pants, but otherwise said nothing, biting down hard on his lip.

Pulling Richard from the car without another word, Gavin lead the other man inside the Palo Alto residence, dragging him up the staircase and into the master bedroom. Shoving the younger man onto the bed, Gavin slipped his dark button-up over his head before tossing it away and stalking toward the mattress. Towering over Richard’s passive body, Gavin leered at the shaken man.

“Tell me what you want and I’ll decide what you get.” Gavin promised, leaning in.


	6. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Richard and Jared continue acting like lovesick nerds who refuse to acknowledge the obvious chemistry between them. Fluff, feels, tears (and repeat).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, this one is somehow so long with not much happening. Lots of dialogue! My creative writing teacher would tsk me so hard for this.

The next time Jared saw Richard waiting in the reception area outside of Gavin’s office, he smiled and approached immediately.

“How did things work out with your landlord?” Jared asked, dropping into the nearest seat.

Twisting on the couch to better face Jared, Richard looked more relaxed, almost happy. ““With Erlich? It’s fine. We worked out a deal.”

“That’s good to hear. Are you relieved?”

“Yeah, it definitely makes things easier for me,” Richard said, distractedly picking at the lint clinging to his ragged-looking hoodie. “I’m responsible for housework and cleaning for the next two months and he agreed to overlook what I was missing.”

“I’m glad you worked things out,” Jared said, mentally breathing a sigh of relief.

“Me too.”

“Oh! I almost forgot,” Jared exclaimed, slipping a small book from his messenger bag.

“Here,” Jared said, holding out the paperback, its warped pages curling in his grasp. “It’s a book on obscure World War II trivia that one of my foster parents sent me for my birthday a couple years back. It’s very interesting.”

Richard accepted the offering, holding the book aloft, bemused.

“I just thought,” Jared continued, feeling suddenly nervous— or maybe giddy? “… that you might enjoy it. It certainly would be a better way to pass time while you’re waiting.”

Richard’s eyes scanned his face for a moment before nodding slowly, turning his focus onto the book now in his possession, trailing his gaze along the worn cover.

“Thank you, Jared.” He said, his voice soft. Jared watched as the gears in Richard’s head turned, fascinated by the way the other man seemed to always get lost in his own internal operations. “You’re so…” Richard paused, a subtle quirk to his lips, searching. “Perceptive. Like all the time.”

They didn’t mention the kiss. It wouldn’t have made sense for them to do so.

“No problem.” Jared replied, tamping down on the very real urge to reach out and touch the other man. “Let me know how you like it,” he added.

Richard, still staring at his gift, nodded, a small upward curve to his lips.

Four days later, when Jared’s rushing out of a crowded elevator, arms loaded with legal files, struggling to balance the travel mug of tea on the top of his stack, he saw Richard again.

“Jared!”

Jared stopped and twirled around at the sound of his name, elated to see a jittery Richard coming his way, the paperback held at his side. Today Richard had chosen to dress in a smart purple sweater over a denim button up with a pair of khaki slacks, giving him the appearance of a man his actual age rather than his usual impression of a stunted adolescent.

“I finished it,” Richard breathed out excitedly, waving the book in Jared’s eye line. “It was great, Jared. Uh really, really great.”

For the first time since Jared had met Richard, the other man was talking animatedly and all at once, genuine enthusiasm informing his words.

“All that stuff on Alan Turing and the Enigma codes,” Richard rambled on. “I mean, the guy was computing before computers. What he did for the field of artificial intelligence was visionary for his time and all that work went unrecognized for years. That’s so insane to me. Like—”

Once it became clear that Richard would continue to twitter on without any real verbal encouragement from Jared, he found himself enjoying the steady chatter without actually attending to the words. It was just nice to see Richard so engaged for once. He had such a sweet face when it wasn’t distorted by anxiety. Jared almost drifted off in thought before he remembered that he only had twenty minutes to prepare before he needed to connect to a conference call with the board.

“Richard,” he interrupted, squashing down the tiny feeling of guilt that tugged at his insides when the other man’s smile dropped all too suddenly and switched back to that quiet, watchful stare. 

“I’m so, so thrilled that you liked the book,” Jared continued. “I’ve read it cover to cover myself too many times to count and it’s so nice to meet someone who’s similarly enthusiastic on the subject.”

Jared took a breath.

“Which is why it’s unfortunate that I’m going to have to table this discussion for now. I wish it weren’t the case, but I have a conference call at one o’clock that I need to get set up for.”

“Oh.” Richard said, looking at the stack of files for the first time. “Uh— Do you need help? Here. Let me just—” Richard grabbed the mug and then slid a few of the folders into the cradle of his arm.

“Thank you, Richard.” Jared sighed, relieved when his load was noticeably lightened.

“Where are you going?” Richard asked, shifting the documents in his arms.

“Just to my office, it’s right through here.” Jared answered, leading the way through a department entrance and into a sea of open cubicles until they came to a moderately sized office near the back.

“Oh, this is nice.” Richard said, following Jared into the space, marveling at how the open window concept flooded the room in natural light.

“You like birds,” Richard remarked, eyes going to a few of the nature prints Jared had hung on the walls. “Which kind’s this?” He asked pointing to a framed photo Jared had taken on a weekend visit to the Baylands Nature Preserve on the coast.

Jared deposited his stack of files onto his desk and then walked over to where Richard was standing, still observing the bird’s stark white plumage. Easing the files out of Richard’s arms, Jared glanced at the photo. “Oh, that’s an adult Snowy Egret. You can tell because its legs are a nice solid black whereas if it had been immature its legs would have been more of a dull, greenish hue.”

“Cool,” Richard said, examining a few of the other photographs before realizing that he was still holding the other man’s tea. “Oops, sorry. Here,” he said, returning the mug to Jared, who had begun shuffling through the folders now strewn across the surface of his workspace.

“I should probably leave you to it,” Richard observed, shoving his hands into the pockets of his slacks. Jared, somewhat distracted, made a quiet grunting noise in the back of his throat before promising to see the other man soon.

Hesitating in the doorway on his way out, Richard turned around and blurted out, apropos of nothing, “Tomorrow is Saturday...”

“Yes. That is correct.” Jared answered, looking up from the documents, failing to follow the line of thought but encouraging it nonetheless.

“Well –ah, I was wondering if you’d be interested doing something like the other night again, you know, with me.” Richard added quickly, as though he thought the condition of his company might be a deterrent he needed to gloss over. “Like, watch a movie or something? I don’t know. You’re probably busy—”

“I’m not.” Jared interrupted, brightening at the other’s request. “Busy, I mean. And I’d love if you came over for dinner tomorrow. I can cook.”

“Oh— okay.” Richard stuttered out, looking pleased. “That sounds great!”

“Great. How about we plan for 7 o’clock. Is lasagna acceptable?”

“Ah-huh.” Richard answered, grinning. “I’ll see you tomorrow then. Bye, Jared.”

“Bye, Richard.” Jared called after him, a smile tugging at his lips as his phone began to ring.

 

***

 

The next day, Jared went to the store and bought all the supplies he would need for an authentic Italian dinner, picking out a few bottles of red wine while he was at it. He came back to his apartment, which he had cleaned thoroughly the night before, and set about shredding cheese and caramelizing a skillet full of onions while the pasta sheets boiled. Adding a hefty amount of ground beef to the slow cooking vegetable, Jared removed the pasta from the heat, draining the water, and then delicately placing each sheet on a carefully arranged bed of paper towels, so that they would be dry by the time Jared began constructing. Emerged in his work, Jared checked the tomato sauce stewing away on the furthest burner, stirring it a few times before lifting the wooden spoon to his mouth, blowing gently on the spoonful before cautiously tasting it for himself.

It’s good, Jared thought as he rinsed the spoon in the sink before beginning on the ricotta. Glancing at the clock, Jared realized that he would have to get moving if he wanted the meal to be ready for Richard’s arrival. Moving quickly and concisely, Jared layered the pasta, meat, cheese, and ricotta mixture into a large casserole dish, evenly spreading each ingredient on top of each before a new layer of pasta had him repeating the process.

Placing the finished product into the oven, Jared had just enough time to shower and get dressed before he heard the ding of his kitchen timer. Removing the dish from the oven rack and setting it down on top of a few pot holders on the table, Jared only had a quick moment to pride himself on a job well done before the sound of his doorbell drew his attention to his entry way.

Pulling the door open, Jared quickly ushered the other man inside, eyes scanning over the relaxed short sleeve button-up and dark jeans Richard had chosen for the evening. Oddly enough, it was the most skin the other man had revealed since they had known each other and there was something intangibly enticing about the slight peek of Richard’s arms.

“I brought wine.” Richard mumbled, holding it out for Jared’s inspection.

Taking the bottle, Jared beamed, turning it over to read the label out of interest.

“Wow, Jared. This is insane.” Richard said in awe when he caught sight of the tray of lasagna waiting for them at the small table between the kitchen and the living room. “You did all this from scratch?”

Jared blushed and nodded appreciatively, guiding Richard over to his seat.

“My college roommate used to always invite me over to holiday dinners with her family,” Jared explained, opening the bottle that Richard had brought once the other man was seated. “She was from New Jersey which has a pretty dense Italian-American population. Her mom used to make this recipe all the time and it got to the point that I was at their house so often that I would help with the preparations. Suffice it to say I picked up a few things here and there.”

“I think that’s sweet,” Richard said, accepting the glass Jared handed to him, taking a small sip.

Sitting at the end of the table so that he could be a little closer to Richard who was sat on the side closest to the kitchen, Jared settled in and portioned out pasta and the salad that he had made earlier.

Taking a bite, Richard groaned, “Oh, Jared. This is delicious.”

Taking a bite of his own, Jared smiled warmly at the other man. “Thank you, Richard,” he said after he finished chewing.

For a couple of minutes they ate in a comfortable silence, each of them sending the other little looks as they enjoyed the meal.

Breaking the quiet, Jared figured he should take advantage of their time together to try to get to know Richard a little better, given that opportunities to do so were woefully infrequent. “So, how was your week, Richard? Do anything fun?” he asked.

Next to him at the table, Richard’s mood shifted and Jared noticed that he had stopped eating, only to stare down at this plate, his eyebrows bunching together.

“Richard?” Jared asked, setting his fork down. “Richard, are you okay?”

“I was… wondering,” Richard began, the words formulating in short starts inside his head. “Well, I was wondering— I uh, if we could, when we’re together, you know, if we could speak candidly? Like, openly? About what I _do_.” 

Richard’s mouth flopped close then, lips pursing. 

“It’s just—” he tried again. “You said that it didn’t bother you and I was wondering if you meant it, okay? It’s fine if you didn’t — uh, mean it. But I just want to be honest with you. I don’t want to have to lie every time you ask me a question because the truth is too difficult. I— I’d like it if we didn’t pretend that things aren’t like the way they are. Is that… Is that, okay?”

“Of course, it’s okay.” Jared responded quickly, swallowing hard over the lump forming in his throat. “Richard, of course.”

Wrestling with the sheer relief that washed over him in response to the other man’s understanding reassurances, Richard bobbed his head up and down in acknowledgement, his lips fluttering as he tried to repress the smile that threatened to overtake his face.

“Good.” Richard finally choked out, digesting the new dynamic to their relationship. “In that case, my week was shit. I sometimes get panic attacks and uh, they were really bad this week. It didn’t help that Gavin fucking Belson kept hiring me for like, social events? Usually he just brings me to his house, but recently he’s been stuffing me into these terrible suits and dragging me to fucking galas.”

“There were a number of big charity events scheduled for this month,” Jared acknowledged, picking up his fork to resume eating, hoping that he was exuding the air of nonchalance that Richard seemed so desperately in need of. “How have you been dealing with these panic attacks? From what I’ve read about them they can be very debilitating, has that been your experience?”

“Yeah.” Richard admitted, taking another bite from his plate. “It’s like I can’t move and even though everything just sort of shuts down my brain just keeps going. I’m still thinking the whole time about where I went wrong, what I should have done differently. It scares me, not being enough, not having the right answers, you know?”

Jared nodded. “I do. I would say a lot of my job involves having the right answer to everything, all at a moment’s notice. It can be daunting to be on all the time, to be responsible for having all of those answers at the ready.”

“But how do you deal with that?” Richard asked in a general sense, shifting restlessly. “When I feel it coming on, my only option is to run, find a quiet place and just freak out in private. That’s not exactly sustainable.”

Jared thought about it for a moment. “Have you tried utilizing mantras or other relaxing techniques when you’re experiencing an episode of anxiety? I use them quite a bit when I’m feeling overwhelmed by work, which I must admit is more often than not.”

“I haven’t,” Richard said, shrugging. “Does your job really stress you out that much?”

Making an attempt to suppress the almost Pavlovian urge to respond in the negative, Jared bit his lip before trying for a more genuine response.

“Hooli is like an abusive spouse to me.” Jared began, not fully thinking through the specific wording. “While I might hate the situation, I’ll keep going back because I have to make it work.” Realizing how his words could come across as somewhat insensitive, Jared’s eyes widened and he quickly tried to salvage the moment.

“Sorry!” he gasped, shocked by his own treacherous mouth. “Was that bad?”

“It’s fine.” Richard laughed, seemingly unfazed. “Gavin Belson isn’t my spouse.”

“No, not exactly.”

“Not at all, Jared.” Richard said more firmly. “He pays to fuck me. We don’t go furniture shopping together.”

“Excuse me for saying so,” Jared began, seeing that since the subject of Richard’s work had been broached it would be less awkward to address it directly. “But you don’t look like a prostitute. Although I have to admit that I do not have a lot of experience discerning what one would look like.”

Richard let out a bark of laughter, dragging his palm across his face, appearing simultaneously amused and exhausted by their conversation.

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, Jared.” He said in a weary tone, although not in an unkind way. “But people in Silicon Valley are fucking _weird_. And I mean really fucking weird. People have these far out ideas and fantasies. Certain kinks. Everyone’s got a type, right? Gavin’s got a type. I’m that type.”

“What type is that?” Jared asked, hoping he wasn’t overstepping a boundary.

Richard shrugged.

“He wanted someone intelligent but weak, physically. Someone that he could dominate, you know? I’m perfect for that.” Richard said, taking another gulp of his wine to help the words flow. “But there’s more to it. He wanted someone smart because for him sex is only appealing when there’s uh, well, when there’s a mindfuck involved. He liked me specifically because he knew going in that I had applied to work for Hooli and wasn’t ok’d by the hiring staff, which meant that he had easy access to something that was really humiliating for me. And to him _that’s hot_.”

Richard paused there, digging the heel of his palm into his eyes as though perhaps he could massage the memories out from behind his eyelids.

“Isn’t that abusive?” Jared asked, filling with concern.

“I don’t know,” Richard said, rubbing at his neck, looking away. “He’s an asshole and he’s rough and totally _not_ my type, but mostly he just seems like any other self-involved dom you’d find in the valley.”

“About that,” Jared began, redirecting the conversation away from the sensitive topic. “Does the dominance component of your arrangement ever bother you?”

“Sorry?” Richard asked, making eye contact again. “What do you mean?”

“I suppose I’m asking whether it bothers you to be sexually submissive to another man.”

“Oh, uh no.” Richard said, blushing slightly. “Not really. If I’m being honest I’d say that would probably be my preferred uh role? In the bedroom.”

Jared nodded, filing away that information and pouring more wine into Richard’s glass when he noticed it was low.

“What about submitting appeals to you?” Jared asked, perhaps a little too easily.

“Christ, I don’t know. I like being in control of my day-to-day life, right?” Richard rambled out, taking another noticeably large sip from his glass. “But I also like the feeling of letting go, getting taken care of? Not like, as a lifestyle, just in the moment. I’m pretty stressed out most of the time and sometimes it gets to be too much. I just want someone else to decide for a little bit, does that make sense?”

“Sure.” Jared nodded, wondering what such a sensitive man was doing in his predicament. “It’s cathartic.”

“Exactly,” Richard agreed quickly. “I don’t have to worry about being right or being good enough because… it’s implicit. If I’m good enough to be taken care of, then I’m _good enough_. That’s what matters.”

Jared smiled sadly at Richard, overtaken by the unwittingly beautiful things that came out of the other man’s mouth. The smile wilted, however, when Jared began to put two and two together.

“You’re having panic attacks because of Gavin,” Jared blurted out, jerking back when Richard choked on his wine, spraying liquid over the table.

“Sorry.” Richard mumbled his brow furrowed as he tried to mop up his mess. “And no, just no. They’re not connected.”

“From what you’ve said though, Richard, they do seem to be linked,” Jared pressed, watching the other man struggle to keep his calm as he wiped clumsily at the table. “You said that a major component of these panic attacks are feelings of worthlessness and that Gavin’s main interest in you rests on his ability to humiliate you with your perceived failures. You’re vulnerable when you’re with him, Richard, and he abuses that. It’s not good for you.”

“Uh, Jared.” Richard stuttered out, discarding the soaked napkin to the side once most of the mess was gone. “It’s not all that, really.” 

“Richard, if your panic attacks and your arrangement with Gavin are connected, then maybe you should consider…”

“Look.” Richard interrupted, giving Jared a stubborn look. “I haven’t analyzed it and uh, well, frankly I don’t want to analyze it because it’ll just make me sad, you know? I’m just trying to survive out here like everyone else and it’s not fucking easy. But I need the money, Jared.”

Worrying at his bottom lip, Jared hesitantly whispered, “There are other ways of making money, Richard.”

Richard laughed then, a bit hysterically. “Yeah. Right. Problem is that no one fucking wanted me.”

Jared flushed and didn't respond, unsure of what he could possibly say to that.

“I had these big fucking dreams, Jared—” Richard continued quietly, punctuating his sentence by slamming his fist unexpectedly into the table, rattling their glasses and startling the other man. Richard looked slightly embarrassed at the outburst, but the clench of his fist remained firm.

“Sometimes I think about whether it would be more humiliating to just pack up my things and go back to Tulsa or to stay here and continue whoring myself out for the _opportunity_ to develop a fucking app or something.” Richard continued, eyes losing focus as he spoke. “To be honest, I don’t know which would be worse. I don’t know— but I’m here, right? I’m doing _this_ right now. I’m already living out one of these scenarios and if this isn’t as bad as it gets, then I don’t want to fucking know how much worse it could be.”

Better the devil you know, Jared thought as he nodded slowly. Before he could think, Jared reached out and laid a hand over Richard’s clenched fist, covering it easily with long, deft fingers, squeezing lightly. Beneath his touch, Jared could feel the tension loosen before gradually relaxing completely. Jared smoothed his hand over Richard’s until he could hold the other man’s hand gently in his own, rubbing soothing little circles into his skin.

“I don’t know what to say,” Jared began honestly, still struggling to find the appropriate words. “But I’m glad you were honest with me, Richard. You’re strength and you’re integrity is breathtaking and I feel so honored to have met you. I can’t imagine battling with the things that you take in stride every day and I want you to know that I’m here for you.” Jared squeezed Richard’s hand again when the other man ducked his head, otherwise unmoving, hiding yet making no attempt to dissuade Jared’s grip. “I think you’re a _treasure_ , Richard. Anyone who can’t see that doesn’t know what they’re looking at.”

Beside him, Richard inhaled sharply and hiccupped. Then a small sob escaped from underneath the mop of curls shielding his face. Then another and another until Richard was leaning forward, burying his bowed head into Jared’s chest.

“Fuck. I’m sorry. Fuck—” Richard gasped as he cried into Jared’s sweater, clutching at the other man while fat tears streamed down his face. Jared hushed him, carefully rearranging Richard into an embrace and running a gentle hand over the other man’s hair, smoothing his curls back.

“It’s okay, Richard. Hey, it’s okay. Just breathe. Just breathe.” Jared murmured, worried by the rate at which the other man’s breathing was speeding up. And then without warning Richard jerked away from Jared and stood up, stumbling away from the living room and into the hallway. From the table, Jared could hear the painful sound of retching coming from the bathroom. Tracing the noise to the source, Jared knelt on the tile next to the heaving figure and rubbed at Richard’s back as the other man emptied the contents of his stomach into the toilet.

“There, there.” Jared cooed softly, stroking his fingers over the knobs in Richard’s spine over and over. “You need to calm down, Richard. You’re making yourself sick.”

“M’fine.” Richard mumbled into the toilet bowl, heaving. “M’sorry, Jared.”

Forced to watch Richard curl into himself, still clinging to the porcelain surface as his body betrayed him, Jared felt a keen sense of sadness overtake him.

“There’s nothing to apologize for, Richard. Just relax.”

When Richard finally stopped heaving into the toilet, Jared helped the smaller man sit up, handing him a glass of water to rinse his mouth with.

“Still want to watch a movie?” Jared asked, giving Richard the opportunity to continue with their night if he wanted to.

“Yeah,” Richard rasped out, throat sore from the abuse done to it, clutching greedily at the glass of water Jared brought for it. “Yeah. Let’s do that.”

Despite his assent, when they made it back to the living room Richard seemed entirely disinterested in the low budget thriller Jared had selected, his eyes struggling to focus on the screen for longer than a few minutes before they flickered shut, staying that way longer and longer in each reiteration. After awhile, Jared began to feel the familiar weight of the other man slumping into his side, withdrawing his eyes from the television set in time to watch Richard’s head come to rest on his shoulder as the last bit of fight to remain conscious slipped away.

“Richard?” Jared asked in a hushed tone, reaching out with the hand not currently crushed between his and Richard’s body, lightly shaking the other man’s shoulder.

Receiving no response, Jared made a split second decision and twisted in his seat, slowly easing Richard down flat onto the cushions while he himself slipped into a crouching position next to the loveseat. Placing his arms underneath the smaller man’s back and the bend of his knees, Jared carefully lifted Richard, inhaling sharply when Richard’s head lulled into his collarbone causing the brunet to snort softly in his sleep. Letting out a steadying breath, Jared carried the other man to his bedroom, lying him down gently on top of the sheets. After removing Richard’s shoes, Jared retreated back into the living room, gathering their dishes and placing them into the sink for later, also taking the time to wrap up their leftovers and placing them in the fridge. Returning to his bedroom, Jared watched Richard snore delicately into his pillow, dead to the world.

He seems so small, Jared thought, watching the rise and fall of Richard’s chest as he slept. Reaching out, Jared smoothed his hand over Richard’s cheek, his thumb tracing the sharp curve of his face, softened by sleep. Intending to leave, Jared drew away, only for his hand to be snatched quickly back.

“No, no. Stay.” Richard whined, blinking up at the man standing over him in confusion.

Still gripping the other man’s hand, Richard burrowed back into the mattress, pulling Jared’s arm with him, wrapping the taller man around his back as he settled in once again.

“S’good, Jared.” Richard mumbled, his curls tickling Jared’s nose from where his head rested only mere inches away. “Feels good. Safe.”


	7. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jared and Richard take their playdate into Sunday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, this one was a struggle. I'm worried about the length, the almost pathological avoidance of description, and the potential OOC-ness of it all.

“Shit. Shit. Shit.”

Typically, Jared was a slow to rise type, needing extra time in the morning before his head was clear enough to process anything more complicated than simple motor functions. So, Jared wasn’t thinking about the events of the previous evening when he first opened his eyes, squinting against the beam of morning light streaming into his bedroom. His first thoughts were more concerned with quieting the flurry of muttered profanities drawing him away from the soft cradle of sleep. Drifting somewhere between dazed awareness and unconsciousness, Jared’s eyes slowly slid open, blinking sluggishly before shifting around for the source of the noise. Half sitting up on one elbow, hanging nearly off the side of the bed, Richard, in his full bed-headed glory, was wide-eyed and heading toward a panic attack.

“Fuck—” Richard choked out, realizing that he had inadvertently woken the other man in the middle of his escape. “I am so sorry. Just go back to sleep. Shit— sorry.”

Dragging an inelegant palm across his face, Jared rubbed at his eyes before returning his attention to Richard who was still frozen at the bed’s edge, watching Jared like he was something volatile and predatory.

“Is everything alright?” Jared asked, searching Richard’s pinched face for a clue, losing focus quickly, his mind soft in the early hours. Richard looked good, his curls ruffled and made wild by sleep were almost golden in the sunlight, and his face was pink and flushed with a healthy glow. There was also something strangely satisfactory to Jared’s territorial senses seeing Richard laid out on his sheets, having spent the night in _his_ bed. Uh-oh, Jared thought when an image of Richard splayed out underneath his sheets, shirtless flashed through his head. Dangerous. “Bad dream?” he tried after coming up with nothing else to say.

Across the bed, Richard bit his lip and then laughed in that nervous way he did, like his life was just an absurd thing put upon him.

“I’m fine.” Richard’s face smoothed out, instinctively relaxing in response to Jared’s casual demeanor before drawing away from his precarious position on the bed’s edge to settle more comfortably on the mattress. “Just surprised I stayed the night again.”

“Yeah, you were pretty out of it,” Jared mumbled, snuggling back into the pillow beneath him, keeping the one eye not pressed against the plush surface on Richard. “We might have spooned a bit.”

“We definitely did,” Richard confirmed, still eyeing Jared with something like suspicion from the other side of the bed. “I’m pretty uh… clingy,” Richard added with an apologetic smile.

“You were a surprisingly efficient teddy bear.” Jared breathed into the bedding, jaw cracking around a yawn.

And then it was like something clicked in Richard’s head and all of the sudden the tension drained from his body.

“I need you to know how weird this is for me,” he said after a moment, rearranging himself so he could lean against the headboard, looking down at Jared. “Seeing you in your bed, somehow still rocking the whole business causal look. It’s confirming all of my worst fears about you.”

Glancing down at his wrinkled navy blue oxford and slacks from the night before, Jared huffed out a small laugh and shook his head good-naturedly against the pillow.

“Usually I don’t even sleep in a bed,” Jared whispered conspiratorially after a moment, watching Richard’s face. “I have a neat charging station in the closest that does the trick. USB compatible and everything.”

The sound of Richard’s surprised giggles filling the bedroom was perhaps one of the loveliest things Jared had the fortune to hear.

“How’re you feeling?” Jared asked after Richard’s laughter had died down. “You really were out like a light last night.”

“I feel good,” Richard answered, adjusting against the pillow cushioning his back. “I don’t always sleep well, so this was nice.”

“You must have needed it.” Jared sighed, feeling his body melt into the mattress as their quiet conversation lulled him back into a state of lethargy. “What time is it?”

Jared listened as Richard hummed distractedly to himself as he dug into his pocket for his cellphone, closing his eyes as he waited.

“Just a little after ten,” Richard responded, slouching back against the headboard as he checked his text messages.

“Oh shit,” Richard said after a moment, sitting upright. “Uh, I need to make a quick call.”

Seeing Jared’s worried face turn toward him, Richard added quickly, “Nothing’s wrong. It’s one of my roommates. She’s uh, concerned that I didn’t come home last night.”

After flipping through his phone for a few more seconds, Richard pressed it to his ear and waited.

“Hey, uh, Carla?” He began when the call connected, glancing at Jared who had sunk back into his pillow but who was listening interestedly. “Just wanted to let you know that I’m fine.”

Even with the speaker pressed to Richard’s ear, Jared could clearly hear the answering voice of a woman on the other line, her tone unimpressed and mocking.

“Richard, do you know how terrible I would feel if you had gotten prayed upon by some fucking creep last night?”

“You, uh. You wouldn’t?” Richard hazarded, rolling his eyes.

“That’s right. Next time keep me in the fucking loop, okay?”

“Sure. Sorry.”

“If you had just sent me a text I wouldn’t have had Gilfoyle hack your phone’s GPS.”

“Carla,” Richard groaned, running a frustrated hand through his hair. “Don’t do that.”

“Deal with it.”

“Stop being an asshole.”

“I spilled jam on your laptop. You really shouldn’t leave that thing lying around.”

“It was in my room.”

“Oops.”

Hanging up without another word, Richard groaned loudly before flopping back down onto the bed, rolling his head to the side to look at Jared.

“She seems nice,” Jared said kindly, finding the situation a little bit funny, if not endearing.

Richard shifted onto his side. “Not the word I would use.”

They laid in a comfortable silence for a few moments, Jared still in that fuzzy place that came before full awareness while Richard just seemed content to relax in the calm quiet that had fallen upon the room.

When his mental facilities finally came back online, Jared let out a deep sigh and propped himself up onto the crutch of his elbow, looking over at his bedfellow to find him watching Jared with an amused quirk of his lips.

“What are your plans for the day?” Jared asked, swinging his legs over the side of the mattress before coming to a stand, stretching out the kinks in his back.

Sitting up himself, Richard shrugged, eyes following Jared as he began to putter around the room, pulling open dressers and shuffling through their contents. 

“Uh, no plans. I was just going to mess around with my algorithm, maybe brainstorm some ideas for new applications.” Richard paused, eyes glued to the expansion of pale skin revealed when Jared pulled his wrinkled oxford over his head as he changed across the room. “Uh you?’

Jared hummed lowly as he selected a clean shirt. “I don’t have anything planned for the day either.” Slipping into a white polo, Jared turned back to Richard. “Which is why I was going to ask, if your work isn’t too pressing, would you want to maybe do something?”

Richard released a laugh of disbelief. “You still want to hangout after I totally shat the bed last night?”

Noticing Jared’s concerned, searching look in the direction of the bed, Richard quickly clarified, “I mean after I freaked out on you, you uh, still want to like, associate with me?”

Detecting the self-deprecation in the Richard’s tone of voice, Jared briefly wondered how many times his heart would break for the other man before he simply just dissolved into tears. Richard’s low self-esteem was highly apparent, visible in the way he held himself and the way he framed his experiences. It made Jared ache to think that this sweet man had such a poor perception of his own self-worth when he clearly was such a lovely person who was down on their luck. 

“You didn’t freak out on me, Richard.” Jared chided gently, aiming for a light-hearted reprimand while hoping not to come off as pitying. “You were human in front of me. That doesn’t devalue your company to me.”

“If you say so,” Richard said dismissively, although his eyes appeared brighter. “What do you want to do?”

“Breakfast?” Jared asked, after a few moments of mentally scrolling through a list of potential activities before his stomach growled, forcing the question. “But not the same diner from before. I’m not trying to scare you off.”

Regardless of his Jared’s own hunger, the thought of getting another proper meal into Richard satisfied a part of Jared that was bent on nurturing the other man. Maybe it was a byproduct of his mother’s influence, but Jared didn’t like it when people looked hungry and when it came to Richard, the urge to create opportunities to feed the other man seemed particularly strong.

“That would be great.” Richard said excitedly, moving off the bed. As he stood, Richard caught sight of himself in the mirror anchored to the top of one of Jared’s dressers and winced at his appearance. “Could I borrow a sweater maybe,” he asked, flattening his hand down the front of his shirt. “To hide the wrinkles?”

Pulling open another drawer, Jared plucked a soft green sweater from the top of the stack. “Here,” he said, holding the garment out towards Richard. “It might be long, but it should fit.”

After tugging the material over his head, Richard gave Jared an appreciative smile, the fit of the sweater a little loose but passable. Oh no, Jared thought as that feeling flared up again, that sense of possessiveness that so rarely filled him sending his eyes roving over Richard’s torso in something more than polite interest. He’s your friend, he’s your friend, he’s your friend...

“I’m going to use the bathroom, ok?”

Jared nodded, watching Richard leave the room before turning back to his dresser to finish changing. Feeling the light blush stain his cheeks, Jared could only hope that Richard hadn’t noticed.

 

***

 

They found themselves at a low-key spot in Menlo Park, seated outside on the patio under a large awning that shielded them from the sunlight. They ordered their food quickly, Jared adopting the business persona he usually put aside for schmoozing at work functions to speak with their bubbly server. Charming the redhead with polite and complimentary words, Jared was pleased when their drink orders were delivered almost immediately even in the midst of the brunch rush, a piece of biscotti resting on his coffee saucer that he was certain was not a regular addition ordinarily.

“Smooth.” Richard said after the waitress had deposited their drinks and left the table, his eyes going to the biscotti and then to Jared. “What was that about?”

Jared shrugged, smiling embarrassedly, breaking the cookie in half and offering the other piece to Richard. “I didn’t mean to do that. It’s this thing I do for work. The morality behind it is probably dubious, but manipulation is part of the business. You’ve got to act the part.”

“Is it harder? Not acting?”

“I don’t know. Sometimes I get so lost in my job that I don’t know who I am outside of Hooli. Like right now, it feels like I’m doing a really bad impersonation of myself if I’m being honest.”

“I think you’re doing fine,” Richard reassured him, taking a bite of the treat.

They talked about trivial things until their food arrived; Richard smiling behind his orange juice while Jared chatted animatedly about a documentary he had seen on tv. After what seemed like no time at all their meals arrived and their conversation became punctuated by groans of delight over the delicious food. Taking their time to enjoy their breakfast and the serene ambiance around them, they lingered at their table long after cleaning off their plates, happy just to bask in each other's presence.

When it came time to pay their bill, Richard excitedly put a hand over the check as it was placed onto their table and slid it toward himself before Jared could protest.

“Pay day.” Richard said simply, pulling a few bills from his pocket to set onto the table.

Ambling out into the parking lot, Jared looked considering at his car before turning to Richard with a proposal.

“There’s a cool trail just down the road.” Jared began, gesturing. “It runs along the San Francisquito Creek, do you want to maybe...?”

“Yeah, sure.” Richard piped in immediately, eagerly. “Let’s go.”

They walked a few blocks until they came to the trail entrance, an unassuming wooden border of fence that separated the loud, busy road from the lush, green trail within. For a while they just continued in silence, taking in the buzz of the creek, the low rustling of squirrels jumping from tree to tree. It wasn’t until they had been walking for almost half an hour when Jared saw them.

“Richard.” Jared whispered excitedly, coming to a sudden stop. “Look. It’s a flock.”

Perched at the top of the high shrubs that ran along the trail was a collection of sleek, twittering birds, their heads and chests a pale brown with their wings fading to a soft gray. The lemon yellow of their bellies was a sharp contrast of color and the narrow black masks that began at their beaks and ran along the accented tuff of their subdued crests gave them an almost a regal appearance. They were beautiful and looking at them sent a pang of nostalgia through Jared’s heart so strong, that for a moment, he felt like the air had been cleared from his lungs.

“I’ve never seen birds like that in Tulsa,” Richard said, studying the birds gathered in the foliage. “What’re they called?”

“They’re Cedar Waxwings. You can find them in most woodland areas, but their commonality doesn’t take away from the fact that they are very stunning birds.” Jared said, eyes intently tracking the birds’ movements. 

“True.” Richard said quietly.

“Do you ever miss it?” Jared asked, turning to Richard. “Tulsa?” Jared clarified quickly.

“I don’t know.” Richard said, meeting Jared’s look. “Not really? I never felt like I was meant to be there.”

“Has Palo Alto proven different in that regard?”

“Maybe? It’s not what I imagined… Living month-to-month, reliant on some shitty job, not even doing the thing I came out here to do— it’s frustrating. I never wanted to be a sell-out, you know? Like the type of person who only did things to get by? Worrying about next month’s bills all the time.”

“I know what that’s like.” Jared said quietly, flexing his hands by his side.

“How would you?” Richard interjected, not unkindly but confused. “Ok sure, your apartment is modest, but you must be putting away serious money, Jared. You’re on the fast track to becoming a senior VP, right? So you probably have stock options, not to mention a salary that’s probably insane.” 

“While true,” Jared conceded, turning his attention back to the wildlife. “I do have some pretty hefty expenses that keep me from amassing much of a savings unfortunately.”

“What kind of expenses?” Richard asked hesitantly, hopeful that he hadn’t stumbled onto something too sensitive.

“Medical bills.” Richard’s stomach dropped.

“For…” Richard asked, worried what answer he would receive.

“My mother.” Jared said, quietly but easily. “She’s been in some variation of an institution or a facility for the majority of my life.”

“She’s ill?”

“Her brain chemistry is off. She’s usually very lucid and lovely, but she sometimes exhibits some really worrying behavior. At the time when people started to notice how… _odd_ she was behaving, I was only seven. The state deemed her unfit to raise me. So when she was sent into psychiatric care, I was put into the foster system.”

Jared smiled sadly as the birds fluttered away from the shrub and up into another tree across the bank.

“It was actually one of my foster parents that turned me onto bird watching when I was about fifteen. They were a nice couple that had a second home up in Tahoe. We spent Fourth of July weekend one year hiking around the lake and my foster father bought me a pair of binoculars so that he could teach me the craft. I fell in love with it right away.”

“So that’s why you know so much?” Richard said, moving closer, bumping Jared’s shoulder with his own.

Jared nodded, grateful for the contact. “That family was good to me. My interest in birds now connects me to those happy memories of my childhood.”

They stood quietly for a moment, watching the birds across the bank as they pecked at the berries amongst the leaves.

“Tell me your favorite kind of bird.” Richard said after a moment.

“Oh that’s hard.” Jared chuckled. “I couldn’t pick one.”

“Really? It can’t be that difficult to just pick one.”

“It’s like trying to pick my favorite bone in my body; they’re all kind of important to me.”

They fell quiet again until Richard tugged at Jared’s arm to guide them back along the trail, continuing their walk.

“If you love it so much,” Richard said contemplatively, his hand no longer holding onto Jared although he kept the distance between them small enough so that their arms would bump together every once in awhile. “Why wasn’t that the goal? How’d you end up at Hooli?”

“It came down to money.” Jared said, biting his lip.

The truth was that Jared had almost gone to school for a biology degree but then his mother’s health had declined and the facility she was moved to hadn’t been covered by their insurance. Accumulating debt at a staggering rate, Jared had seen no way around it but to ditch his dream entirely. 

“I knew that an ornithologist’s salary wouldn’t be sufficient to maintain the quality of care she would need.” Jared continued. “So I got the business degree, then an accelerated MBA, and was starting at Hooli pretty much the second I graduated.”

Richard looked at Jared, eyebrows furrowed. “That’s insane.”

“At least she’s being taken care of,” Jared said mildly. “I see her when I can, mostly holidays though. I send her things in the mail pretty often, I don’t want her to feel like she’s been forgotten.”

“Jared.” Richard began, bumping their arms once again, looking over at the kind face of the Hooli executive, wondering what he had done right to led him to this man. “You’re a really good person.”

Ducking his head, Jared smiled shyly to himself and kept walking.

 

***

 

They had walked along the creek for more than an hour before deciding to head back to the car and when Richard made no indication that he wanted to be taken home, Jared ended up driving them back to his apartment. Climbing the stairway to Jared’s door, Richard’s stomach growled audibly, so Jared suggested they reheat the leftovers from the night before and have a late lunch. Lunch became channel surfing became wine and a movie; Richard and Jared huddled together on the cramped loveseat as the sun dipped low in the sky.

“Do you ever feel like you’re inside a movie?” Richard asked, feeling loose from the wine and comfortable with Jared by his side, the sweater Jared had lent him rubbing soothingly against his skin as he sagged into the other man. Was this normalcy?

“Do you?” Jared asked, feeling bubbly as well, nudging the heavy weight on his shoulder playfully.

The smile that broke over Richard’s face was infectious, his checks flushed from the wine, his eyes bright and warm as he regarded the other man. Tilting his head up, just like that first night, Richard brushed his mouth against Jared’s, briefly and just barely there, but enough. “Only when I’m with you.”

When Jared froze next to him, something like regret touched Richard’s expression, the smile dropping, his head jerking backward while his hand reached out as if to stop Jared from leaving.

“Jared, wait.” Richard gasped, real fear coloring his voice as he scrambled to salvage the situation. “I’m sor—”

Moving quickly, Jared leaned forward and silenced the other man, his lips pressing gently into Richard’s, his hand coming up to cup Richard’s jaw. When they came apart, Richard looked at Jared questioningly, wanting to believe but still cautious, wary of rejection. Surprised at himself but unapologetic, Jared stroked the pad of his thumb down Richard’s cheek, relishing the smooth skin underneath his touch.

“I feel the same way.” Jared whispered, a small, nervous smile gracing his face. And he did. Maybe he had tried to persuade himself that he didn’t or that they couldn’t, but he did. He felt like every moment with Richard was this unreal thing that he would soon wake up from, something far away, intangible. But Richard was here. He was real. And he wanted this too.

The next kiss was soft but insistent, their lips meeting in sweet, chaste little presses of the mouth, which Richard sighed into, tipping his head up for the next. Feeling Richard’s breath fan over his face, Jared pressed deeper and was rewarded with a low mewling noise, which had him opening his mouth under Richard’s, coaxing the smaller man’s lips apart. They continued making out on the couch for a while, Richard hardly believing his luck. Somehow one of his arms had made its way around Jared’s waist and Richard didn’t even remember when that happened, but it felt good. The fingers on his own back flexed as Jared pulled him closer, dipping his face low, burying into the side of Richard’s neck, breathing deeply. The noises that left Richard’s mouth were embarrassing and needy, a choked off high pitched sound that had Jared smiling against his neck before his teeth nipped gently at the skin just below his jaw. Richard arched into the shallow bite, his arms moving upward to wrap around Jared’s shoulders, drawing him closer as he pressed into the contact.

“Is this okay?” Jared whispered, breathing heavily into Richard’s skin.

Richard’s fingers flexed, tightening their grip on Jared’s shoulders, not wanting to let go. “Yes, please. More.”

“Bed?” Jared asked, the word feeling awkward coming out of his mouth, so unlike him to be such a proactive partner.

But Richard was nodding before Jared had the time to overanalyze, climbing off of the couch, and looking at Jared expectantly. Standing, Jared drew Richard back in for another kiss, followed by another and another, crowding Richard toward the hallway and toward his bedroom, his hands smoothing down the smaller man’s back, pulling his hips closer as they stumbled through the doorway. Guiding Richard backward, Jared lowered him to the bed, breaking the kiss only to move his hands lower, gripping questioningly at the hem of the green sweater, the fingers resting against Richard’s stomach stroking teasingly at the soft skin of his navel.

“Can I?”

Richard’s breathing hitched and he nodded, propping himself up to help Jared peel the shirt and sweater up his chest and over his head. Responding in kind, Jared quickly shucked his own shirt before standing up to remove his pants, glancing up at Richard to see if he would do the same. Richard, wanting to feel the other man’s skin against his own, desperate to get closer, leaned back onto the bed, arching his back as he dug his thumbs underneath the waistband of his pants. Shimmying out of his jeans, Richard tossed them aside. Jared’s eyes widened in surprise when he noticed Richard had forgone underwear entirely before becoming hooded, hungry. With the last of his clothes gone, Richard licked his lips, feeling both insecure and strangely empowered by Jared’s gaze. This felt different. Good. Better. Jared trailed his fingertips across Richard’s cheekbone, suddenly looking thoughtful and pensive and sort of quiet. 

“You are so beautiful,” Jared whispered into the space between them, his voice rough with arousal. 

Thankful they neglected to turn on the lights when they stumbled into Jared’s bedroom, Richard felt the blush spread across his cheeks, hopeful that Jared wouldn’t be able to feel the heat coming off his flushed skin. The words had caught him off guard and the matter-of-factness with which Jared uttered them sent Richard reeling with a heady sort of pleasure. A needy noise escaping his throat, Richard pressed himself upward into the body hovering over his own, unsure of how to deal with the feelings that were suddenly making his chest feel too full, choosing instead to chase a different sensation. 

At the first touch of Richard’s cock against Jared’s leg Richard let out a wounded sound, hips jerking without rhythm against Jared’s answering thrusts, both of them inelegant as the heat built between them. Jared could feel Richard hard against his thigh, rocking desperately against him, and a flash of something like pride filled him because _he_ was the cause, he did that. Their breath spilled out hard and harsh between them, Richard gazing up at him, his brown hair mussed and plastered to his sweaty forehead, and Jared staring down, drinking in the sight of the panting pile of a man he’d made.

“God, you’re perfect.”

Richard bit his lip; somehow still embarrassed by the other man’s words rather than the very intimate position they were in, but squirming sweetly in response. He felt like the heat underneath his skin would consume him if the other man kept talking like that.

“I’m going to take care of you, Richard.” Jared breathed into the space between them, remembering what Richard had told him the night before, his hand reaching down to curl around Richard’s cock, giving it a smooth pump as he spoke. “Do you want that?

Beneath him, Richard trembled with arousal and want, fighting the urge to fidget even as Jared’s hand squeezed him teasingly before sliding across the sensitive skin of his head. Gasping for breath, Richard writhed and spread his legs further, making room for Jared to settle more comfortably.

“Please,” Richard whined, hips bucking upward. “Yes.”

Craning over Richard to reach into the drawer of his bedside table, Jared retrieved a bottle of lube and a condom, placing them beside them on the mattress before his eyes returned to Richard’s face, searching. Then, methodically, Jared grabbed the bottle and squeezed a good amount onto the tips of fingers and when the hand disappeared from sight, Richard felt something slick tease against his hole.

“Jared, please, please…” Richard cried out as Jared fingered him open, stretching him slowly and thoroughly, holding the smaller man’s hips down with his free hand to prevent Richard from further impaling himself on his fingers. The press of the third finger came with a nip to the side of his neck making Richard’s heart thud loudly in his chest. He felt like prey. It felt good. Desperate and weak in the face of his building need for more, Richard felt like he was coming undone. He wasn’t in control of the moment. He didn’t feel like he needed to be.

“Need you,” Richard whined, trying to remain still as Jared’s fingers scissored inside of him. “Please, Jared. I’m ready. Need you.”

And like that, Jared’s fingers left and just when Richard was about to sob from their absence he heard a crinkling noise and then what sounded like plastic tearing before he felt the nudge against his entrance. Jared leaned over Richard, his palms sliding underneath Richard’s thighs as his hips pressed forward, his own slick cock pushing inside. Richard panted and shivered as Jared slowly pressed in, small thrusts getting him deeper and deeper until—

“Unghf.” Richard moaned as the other man’s hips began to roll against his own, his thrusts establishing a steady rhythm. In no time, Richard was crying out as their pace picked up speed, Jared adjusting the angle of his thrusts as he drew Richard’s legs higher, wrapping them around his waist to rest against his back as he continued to plow into Richard. Then, hitching Richard’s legs even higher, bending the smaller man in half as his thrusts became more erratic, Jared hit that tender bundle of nerves inside him and Richard felt himself vibrate with pleasure, whining loudly for more. 

Continuing to hit that spot, Richard felt himself getting close and when he brought Jared’s mouth down to his own for a sloppy kiss he could tell that the taller man was almost there as well. Wanting to prolong the moment, Richard tried his best to stave off the inevitable, his eyes slamming shut and his teeth gritting in concentration as the sensations built up, pleasure igniting his skin, the heat flaring along his body.

“I’m— I,” Richard gasped, words failing him as his world was quickly narrowed to a single point. “Jar—”

A hand flew down to Richard’s cock, stroking him from base to tip in one easy move as Jared’s thrusts became harder, faster.

“Let go, Richard.” Jared rasped, the strain in his voice betraying his own need. “Come for me.”

A moment later, another thrust, and a firm squeeze had Richard coming hard onto Jared’s stomach, his body tensing in shock of the pleasure coursing through his veins, before shivering and trembling again from the aftershocks. His vision whited out a little when he came, barely catching sight of Jared’s own release, the taller man letting out a loud groan before sinking onto Richard, the heavy weight a comfort, grounding. They breathed heavily for a moment, stacked, before Jared rolled over to the side, pulling out and away for a moment, before reeling Richard closer to rest against his chest, running a hand along his back, entangling their legs. 

Richard, relaxed and limp with orgasm, safe in the care of a man he trusted, fell asleep immediately.


	8. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Richard checks in with the hacker hostel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A wittle shorty chapter. Also a bit of canon switcheroos. In this universe, Carla is living in the hacker hostel and her and Richard have a cute little love/hate relationship. What can I say? I couldn't imagine Monica living there and I think Richard needs some female companionship.

Warm. He felt warm. Enveloped. Content. And then… what was that? A hand pressed against his chest.

Jared shifted underneath the pressure, drawing away until he realized that inadvertently, he was retreating from the heat. Pressing back, Jared huffed out a sigh as he nuzzled into the warmth, appeased by the soft skin he found. His mind felt like it was floating in soup as his body curled around his reclaimed prize, a satisfied hum vibrating through his chest. Just when Jared’s mind was ready to sink, the hand returned, this time soothing down the length of his arm in a careful caress before forming a loose vice around his wrist. Jared groaned as the hand peeled his arm upward, away from the sloping curve of a waist and onto the cool bedding, the action only made worse when a moment later the heat disappeared entirely.

“Richard…?” Jared whined, reaching out blindly, eyes still shut. God was that his voice? He groaned again in frustration when his hand met empty air, cracking his eyes open to survey the dark room. Propping himself up with his elbow, Jared made a clumsily move to stand, but before he could the bed dipped and the warm body returned, pressing him back into the mattress. 

“Hey.” Hot breath fanned out against the side of his face as the back of his head settled against his pillow. “Where do you think you’re going?”

The weight was comforting. The voice that accompanied it was even better.

“You left.” Jared turned his face to the side, his cheek pressing against Richard’s as he sought the other man out. 

Pulling away in order to meet Jared’s sleep hooded eyes, Richard smiled in a fond sort of way down at him, the quirk at the corner of his mouth just barely noticeable, his own eyes soft as he traced the other man’s face.

“I need to head home.” Richard murmured, using his palm to smooth out the hair sticking to Jared’s forehead. “It’s still early.” Richard continued, keeping his sentences short and to the point in deference to Jared’s sleep muddled head. “Go back to sleep.”

Ever so thoughtfully, Richard punctuated the suggestion with a kiss, cupping Jared’s jaw to get a better angle and groaning when the other man opened up beneath him, sighing happily into the press of Richard’s lips. The kiss went on for a few moments before Richard pulled back.

“Go to sleep,” Richard said in a hushed voice, drawing back, taking the heat with him. Without the other man, Jared felt the chill of the room acutely and a full body shiver shook his lithe frame. A second later the quilt from the living room was thrown over his body and Richard bent low at the side of the bed, brushing a small kiss onto Jared’s temple.

“I’ll see you around.”

Jared curled into the quilt, grateful for the warmth, murmuring a muffled goodbye before he drifted back to sleep.

 

***

 

The Uber driver dropped Richard off at the curb of the driveway leading up to the rundown ranch-styled house, parting with a gruff goodbye before disappearing down the block. Shuffling toward the front door in the dim light of early morning, Richard entered the house, careful to quietly close the door behind him, barely biting back the yawn that forced his mouth open wide. The workroom was unlit and empty, too early for the others to be up, let alone doing anything that could be considered productive, but as Richard moved closer to the kitchen he could see the soft light streaming through the doorway. Peeking around the corner, Richard noticed the hunched figure sat on the counter, feet dangling against the lower cabinets.

Looking up from the bowl of cereal settled on her lap, Carla aimed an appraising look at the twitchy little man as he entered, scrunching her nose at him as he ambled further into the kitchen. “How is it possible that you look more virginal than when you left?”

Ignoring the comment, Richard crossed the room and pushed himself up onto the counter next to her, leaning over to eye her bowl disapprovingly. “You have cereal, Carla. Why are you always eating mine?”

Carla shrugged, tilting the bowl away from his gaze. “The Honey Bunches is mine,” she said around a mouthful, flipping her blonde fringe out of her eyes.

“No. It’s not.” Richard grumbled, reaching out, trying to intercept the bowl from her grasp even as she leaned further away. “There’s a label with my name on the box. Several actually.”

Grabbing the cereal box with her free hand, Carla inspected the five white labels scattered over the cardboard. “Huh. True.” She said, jerking away when a hand slipped the spoon from her grasp. “Hey! Get your gross spindly arms away from me.”

“What are you doing up so early anyway?” Richard sidetracked, taking a bite. “Don’t you have work today?”

“The dude I took home from the bar is snoring like a fucking bear.” Carla said, taking the spoon back before angling her body away to protect the bowl. “Had to get out of there.”

Richard hummed in response, letting his legs rock back and forth beneath him, listening to the sound of crunching next to him.

“Soooo.” Carla prompted once the silence began to drag. “Don’t be all coy about it, how was your sexy weekend?”

Richard blushed lightly. “I don’t know if I would call it that…”

“Did you get fucked?” Carla threw out, swirling the dregs of her cereal.

“Umm, yeah? Yes.” Richard mumbled, smiling nervously.

Carla nodded approvingly. “Nice. Bird boy knows how to close a deal. Was he good?”

“He was great.” Richard blurted out, embarrassed by the eagerness of his delivery, but also kind of excited to share. “It’s been awhile since I’ve felt that, uh… special? He was like, really attentive… uh, you know, like _during_ and then after he cuddled me the whole night.”

Carla smirked. “Eww. Sounds awful.”

“I don’t know. It’s the best recreational sex I’ve had in a long time.”

“How weird is it that you’ve got to distinguish between transactional and recreational sex?” Depositing the empty bowl into the sink from her perch, Carla narrowed her eyes at the man beside her inquisitively. “Like, do you even enjoy getting fucked by that corporate cult leader or is it just work?”

Richard’s mouth twisted into a grimace, his body slouching slightly as though thinking about his time with Gavin was physically uncomfortable. “Imagine cumming and just feeling genuine, consuming regret each time." Fidgeting with the hem of his shirt, Richard's eyes strayed away from Carla as they moved to his lap. “Whatever you get from the physical act is pretty much completely overshadowed by the humiliation and shame that follows. You’re not really a factor in anything that’s happening, just kind of a prop. I don’t like feeling like a thing.”

“Fuck.” Carla said, eyebrows furrowing. “So no?”

“Yeah.” Richard mumbled, wishing he hadn’t brought it up at all.

They sat quietly for only a couple of seconds before Carla swung her shoulder into Richard’s, getting his attention.

“Here.” She said, twisting around to open one of the cabinets to her left, pulling out a box of pastries. “Do you want to share a doughnut?” Not waiting for a response, Carla plucked a glazed ring from the packaging, tearing it in half before offering it to Richard.

“You didn’t buy these, did you?” Richard asked as he accepted the sweet, grateful for the diversion.

Carla snorted. “Of course not.”

The sound of a door opening could be heard and a moment later, a sleepy, shuffling man entered the kitchen, his thick eyebrows scrunching together as his eyes connected with the two figures on the kitchen counter, more specifically the pastries in their possession.

“Those are my doughnuts, assholes. Fuck you both.”

“Sorry, Dinesh.” Richard mumbled apologetically.

“Fuck you, Dinesh.” Carla chimed in, grinning around the mouthful she was still chewing.

Dinesh grunted, irritated, before checking the box, his shoulders relaxing minutely when he noticed that it wasn’t completely empty. Taking a maple log, Dinesh leaned against the counter facing the other two.

“Hey Richard, you actually going to work on your application today?” Dinesh asked, his tone a little antagonistic but mostly just curious. “Erlich’s been shitting himself over you’re uh, ‘lack of commitment’ and ‘visionless work ethic’ recently. You might want to deal with that.”

Richard groaned. “Fuck, really?” 

“Yeah, he’s been a monster.” Dinesh said, his mouth puckering. “He had these straight up basement nerds over yesterday to interview for a spot in the house. Don’t worry though, their pitches were terrible.”

“I ate all of his yogurt in revenge.” Carla added, making a face like she had tasted something sour. “Some of those guys smelled fucking rank.”

“Where have you been anyway?” Dinesh asked, tilting his head.

Richard smiled weakly. “Oh uh, I had a date, well I guess two dates? I slept over both nights, which is why I didn’t make it home.”

“Dates? You?” Dinesh asked incredulously. “How am I the only one in this house not getting any?”

Carla, with her best shit-eating grin on, leaned forward, nudging Richard in the side with her elbow. “Richard actually gets more ass than you’d believe, Dinesh. Legit, he’s someone’s booty call.”

“Are you shitting me? I don’t want to hear that!” Dinesh squeaked, horror washing over his face as he looked between the two. Shaking his head, the other man turned around, heading towards the kitchen’s exit. “I’m going back to bed,” he grumbled, disappearing through the doorway, his footsteps growing quiet as he moved further into the house. 

Hopping off of the counter and regarding the smirking woman watching him, Richard sighed wearily. “You're the worst.”

“Whatever.” Carla shrugged, that evil grin still on her face. “Get some sleep, dude. You don’t want the client to see dark circles under those pretty eyes of yours.”

“I hate you.” Richard called back, the sound of laughter following him out of the kitchen.


	9. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Richard goes to work, Jared makes a confession, and Gavin does what he does best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: There is some rough stuff in this chapter, which includes issues of dubious consent.

The polished wood pressed harshly against Richard's back as the C.E.O. bore down on him, sinking inside inch by inch as he squirmed beneath the older man. 

They were in Gavin’s office again, shades down, door locked, clothes removed. Turning his head to the side, Richard saw a stack of what appeared to be legal documents beside him, secured in a manila folder, a neat scrawl on the front indicating the urgency in which they needed to be dealt with. Richard thought of Jared then and wondered if it was his handwriting, if he had placed them there earlier that day. 

“C’mon, Richie. Lift your hips.”

Complying, Richard felt his shoulders meld into the desk as his lower body tilted upward, jolting when a firm slap was delivered to his ass.

“There’s my good boy.”

Richard blushed, but otherwise disregarded the praise, instead focusing on keeping his body propped up and his breathing steady. The legs wrapped around Gavin’s waist were shaking and with each hard thrust rocking him backward into the desk, Richard struggled to hold in the small gasps building in his throat.

Noticing the firm set of Richard’s jaw, Gavin huffed a small laugh and shifting his grip on the younger man’s hips, loomed forward so that he was fully covering Richard, now at his eye level. Using one hand to keep Richard’s hips tilted upward, Gavin’s other hand extended forward, his arm coming to rest against the desk, his fingers tangling into Richard’s loose curls.

Tugging lightly, Gavin made a tsking noise, his mouth curving upward in response to the squeak he provoked.

“Don’t be like that.” Gavin grunted, keeping his grip on Richard’s hair firm but loose enough not to pull. “I like hearing you enjoy yourself. I’d like to hear more of it.”

Since when? Richard thought. 

The request seemed so out of character for the older man. Gavin never hinted or angled for what he wanted. He made demands, he gave orders, and when those failed to garner the desired response he would use his strength to force Richard’s head further down or pull Richard closer, whatever it was. This was different. For a few moments, Richard ignored the appeal, waiting for retaliation in the form of a bite or a tug, but when nothing happened Richard relaxed. Still watching the younger man in questioning way, Gavin continued to pump into the Richard at a steady tempo, unnervingly deferential in his passivity. When it seemed like Gavin was going to leave it alone, a change in angle had Gavin’s cockhead hitting Richard’s prostate full on, prompting Richard to yelp his pleasure loudly. Grinning down at the younger man, pleased, dangerous, Gavin picked up his pace, thrusting harder, nailing that spot that had Richard mewling and twisting on the table.

“You like that, huh?” Gavin asked, more observational than anything else, not at all mocking like he usually did when Richard was becoming too engaged, enjoying himself a little too much. “Gonna fuck you so good, gorgeous,” he rasped, his words instead touching a place in Richard that made him feel warm, like he was _good_. Closing the hand in Richard’s hair into a fist, Gavin yanked Richard’s head back as his hips jackhammered. Whining under the onslaught of sensations, Richard could only hold onto the older man’s shoulders as he was viciously fucked into the table.

“You close, Richie?” Gavin growled out, pleased when Richard moaned his affirmation. “Good.” Cradling his hand around the back of the younger man’s head, the C.E.O. positioned Richard so that their eyes met. “I want you to come, Richie. Can you do that for me?”

Dazed, Richard nodded and clenched down on the other man, gritting his teeth as Gavin slammed into him before cumming against the C.E.O.’s stomach with a cry.

Above him, Gavin pushed his head into the crook of Richard’s neck, his teeth bared against skin as he came, curling his hand around Richard’s waist in a way that was sure to bruise. The older man collapsed once he had fully finished, his weight crushing and uncomfortable.

Luckily, Gavin, the enigma that he was, rested for only a moment before deciding he could be productive elsewhere. Pushing himself up and off the desk, Gavin removed the condom, tying it off quickly before throwing it into the bin beside his desk with a flick of his wrist. Reaching for a small hand towel he had waiting on the chair behind them, Gavin wiped roughly at the spunk on his own stomach before taking care of a few stray spots that had landed on Richard’s. The gesture was unexpected and only when Richard had come down from electric rush of endorphins was he of the right mind to realize just how out of character the other man was behaving. 

Sliding off of the desk, Richard shuffled across the room to the shelves lining the back wall, where he had disrobed earlier. Following Gavin’s lead, the man already flipping through his phone as he zipped up his pant, Richard moved quickly, tugging the green sweater he had accidentally taken home with him three days earlier over his head. The fabric still smelled slightly like its owner and breathing in the scent helped calm Richard who had begun to feel the same pangs of regret that he felt after every session with Gavin. They finished getting dressed in silence, the only sound other than the rustling of clothing coming from the clicking sound of Gavin firing off an email, his thumb flying around the mobile keyboard with practiced ease.

“Money is on the mantle,” the C.E.O. said distractedly when Richard approached him a minute later, his eyes still on his phone even as he ran a hand over his slicked back hair, every bit the unaffected business man he was most of the time. Making a move toward the mantle behind the desk, Richard was cut off when Gavin stepped forward suddenly, blocking the way. But before Richard could react, Gavin swooped in, delivering a quick peck to Richard’s unsuspecting lips. Light, barely there, almost like an afterthought. “See you around, kiddo.”

Gavin walked out of the office without a backward glance, leaving Richard standing alone and confused in the C.E.O.’s office. The compliments, the praise, whatever the fuck that kiss was. That should never have happened. One of the few hard limits Richard had mandated as a part of their arrangement was that there would be no kissing included in the services he provided and before now, Gavin had followed that rule without question. Taken aback by the whole thing, Richard exited the office in a fog, his mind buzzing. He emerged from the room, eyes unfocused, only to refocus again when a towering pale brunet caught his attention. Entering reception from the main hall was Jared, zeroing in on Richard as soon as he was through the door.

It had been three days since the last time Richard had seen him.

“Jared!” Richard waved shortly, the nervous excitement in his voice indefensible. “Hi.”

However, Jared’s timid, if stern, response dampened Richard’s good spirits quickly. “Hey uh, Richard? Can we talk?”

“Okay.” Richard agreed hesitantly.

Jared nodded, his gaze dropping. “Maybe— let’s go to my office.”

Turning around, Jared set off, leaving Richard no other option but to follow and swallow the fear that threatened to choke him. 

“What’s going on?” he asked once they were safely inside the other man’s office.

Jared sighed. “I think it’s pertinent that I’m upfront with you, Richard. And so I’m just going to come out and say it. I have some concerns about the recent changes in our friendship.”

Richard’s stomach dropped.

“Right,” he mumbled, curious if Jared could read the dread in the twitch of his shoulder or the curl of his fingertips. Already, this felt like loss.

“This past week has been filled with some discomforting moments—” Jared began, his eyes dodging Richard’s. “I’m specifically referring to my interactions with Gavin. Things have been tense, on my end. Due to the nature of his and your arrangement, I’ve found it difficult not to become… distracted… or react inappropriately while around him.”

Richard could only nod, his voice trapped somewhere in his throat.

“Now I’ll be the first to admit that I should have realized that there would be a certain level of awkwardness, but I guess I hadn’t really prepared myself for the emotional components involved.” 

Richard wished he could shrink, maybe disappear entirely, anything to escape the part of the talk that he knew was coming. The part in which Jared ended whatever it was that had been growing between them. Where he told Richard that they needed to stop, that they couldn’t hang out anymore. He should have known it was too much to ask. He should have known.

“I was surprised by the jealousy, to be honest.” Jared continued, his eyes finally focusing on Richard, unaware of the other man’s inner panic. “I’ve never thought of myself as the possessive type, but seeing you come out of that office just now, it was strange, Richard. I mean, we’ve only known each other for such a short period of time, but I didn’t like thinking that you were with someone else. It made me feel territorial and awful.”

Confusing Richard’s scrunched nose and furrowed brow for anger, Jared reached out quickly, intercepting Richard’s fidgeting hands, squeezing them affectionately in his own.

“That’s not to say that I think of you as my property! I want to make that clear. And I understand that it’s an aspect of your job and that any um— relationship you might enter into would have to be an open one to an extent. I’m just trying to be honest when I say that being confronted with the reality of our situation was more difficult than I anticipated, which is to say I didn’t… anticipate. That’s my fault.”

Reeling with the uncertainty over what Jared seemed to be apologizing for, Richard bit his lip, trying to maintain eye contact all the while also bracing himself for the eventual shift in conversation.

“What I’m trying to say with all of this is that I… I care about you, Richard. And while I may need to work on better understanding how to navigate this type of thing, I would really like to make things official between you and I. I’d like to date you, Richard, if you’d be agreeable to it.”

Richard’s heart skipped a beat. “What?” he asked, disbelieving.

“Would you like me to repeat myself?” Jared asked nervously, but sincerely.

“No. Well uh, maybe? I just— wait no. So you’re asking me out?”

“Yes.”

Richard could scream, either from relief or frustration he didn’t know, but instead he exhaled sharply. “Jesus fuck, Jared. I thought you trying to tell me to fuck off.”

Jared blanched. “No! Oh I’m sorry, Richard. Not at all.”

“I’d uh—” Richard stammered, the reality of the question now catching up to him, giddiness building in his chest. “I— oh fuck… I’d like to date you too, Jared.”

Conscious of the transparent wall separating them from a room full of Hooli employees, Richard stepped closer, angling his body so that it hid his wandering hand from view. Reaching out, Richard pressed his palm against Jared’s chest, feeling the sharp inhale before he slid it lower to rest against the taller man’s stomach. The muscles beneath his touch fluttered anxiously before Jared carefully layered his hand over Richard’s, a smile tugging at his lips.

“Good news then?”

Richard laughed. “Great news.”

They stood just like that for a moment, both of them digesting this new shift in their relationship.

“I realize that I’m asking a lot of you.” Richard said quietly, his hand still pressed against Jared’s warm skin, liking that with Jared’s hand over his own the heat was coming from all sides. “I know what it feels like… not wanting to share. I wish you didn’t have to.”

Jared was silent for a second. “I’m not asking you to change, Richard.”

Richard nodded. “I know.”

“While I’m confessing my concerns, however, I do have one more I’d like to share with you.” Jared looked uneasy. “Please understand, I’ve seen what kind of man Gavin can be and it scares me, the thought of him hurting you, the thought that you’d let him. Coming to terms with uh— sharing your time is one thing. Being complicit in his mistreatment of you is another thing entirely. Just, please, be careful, okay? Don’t sacrifice any part of yourself because you think you have to.”

Touched, but also aware that his tolerance for what Jared considered to be mistreatment was dangerously high, Richard decided taking care of Jared’s feelings was more important in this case than the truth. “Okay. Okay, I’ll try.”

Clearly appeased, Jared beamed gratefully at the other man; his blue eyes bright, his smile wide and childlike.

Seeing Jared happy and carefree, Richard couldn’t regret the small lie.

 

***

 

He had hoped it wouldn’t come up again, but when Gavin took Richard home a few days later, the strange behavior reemerged. The kind words, the thoughtful gestures, the deferential requests. Richard couldn’t make sense of it. 

Was it affection? 

Richard was doubtful; it didn’t seem like Gavin’s style to be expressive in that way. But why else would the C.E.O. waste his time with it? Perhaps in Gavin’s eyes Richard had reached the same level of fondness that a dog owner typically would save for their pet. Something that was cherished, but owned. Taken care of, but tamed, kept, _less_. Being treated like an obedient dog wasn’t exactly a crowning achievement, but Richard found himself more at ease during their session, less fearful of the rough play or the mocking commentary that usually supplemented their activities.

Gavin was being nice. He inquired about Richard’s preferences, he asked for permission, and he gave praise easily. As discomforting as it was afterward, in the sober light of post-orgasm, it was surprising comforting during. Richard felt relaxed, less on edge.

“So good for me.” Gavin rasped, hitching Richard’s legs higher over his hips as he pushed forward. They were face-to-face again, this time on Gavin’s bed, Richard panting beneath the older man, his hands outstretched above his head and grasping at the iron bars of the bedframe as per the C.E.O.’s request. They were both close.

And then, suddenly, Gavin dipped low, teeth and lips forcing Richard’s mouth open, the kiss vicious and entirely unexpected.

“N-no.” Richard stammered, squirming backward. “No kissing. We agreed.”

The other man didn’t respond, but he also didn’t try to kiss Richard again.

It was a victory that Richard would just have to take.

 

***

 

They started off small.

The whole time they had known each other, Richard and Jared had never exchanged numbers, but after their talk in Jared’s office they had begun to text each other constantly. Usually they were just little things...

 

_Do you like rice krispies?_  
_Sure. Why do you ask?_  
_I just made waaaaay too many :/_  
_I’m coming over._

 

_Saw a cool bird outside of my bedroom. Took a picture._  
_Let me see!_  
_What is it?_  
_It’s a purple finch :)_  
_I’m going to make it your contact picture lol._  
_:D_

 

_When are you free?_  
_Should be done by six._  
_I’ll be home, we’ll order pizza._  
_Can’t wait._

 

_Did you hear that Jibo is releasing a “family robot”?_  
_Features?_  
_Pictures, video, reminders, messages, connects to home technology…_  
_So… essentially everything my phone can already do :p_  
_People have thrown money at worse._  
_Lol true._

 

_Movie tonight?_  
_I get to pick._  
_Okay. Bring snacks._

 

_Carla wants to meet you. Thoughts?_  
_I’d love to meet your friends, Richard._  
_You’ll regret saying that…_

 

It was cute. It was casual. It was the sort of thing that made Richard’s heart thump wildly in his chest and think excitedly about the future.

 

***

 

It was a Saturday night and Richard had been summoned.

With his obscenely expensive suit on, the one that Gavin had bought him for special events, Richard exited the hotel elevator, following the crowd out onto the penthouse floor where a sea of business execs and start-up billionaires were already schmoozing in full force.

A man in a gray pinstripe suit approached Richard as soon as he crossed over the threshold into the conference room, looking him up and down with a barely restrained smirk.

“Mr. Belson is expecting you.” He said shortly.

Pressing his lips thin, Richard nodded and followed the assistant through the crowd of Palo Alto elite, bumping elbows with men and women who could probably bury Richard with only a sliver of their wealth. Would he want this? Richard wondered as he witnessed a man curl his nose at the flute of champagne served to him, demanding that the server bring him the “good stuff” or to not even bother. Is this what they were all working for? Was this the goal?

A hand wrapped around his waist, but when Richard looked up it wasn’t the man he was expecting. The man was blond, a little older than Richard, his smile sharp and full of perfect white teeth.

“So you’re the man everyone is whispering about.” The man said, his eyes appraising as they ran over Richard’s suit, a question lingering in his gaze. “Gavin has always had interesting taste.”

That caught Richard’s attention, his body tensing, drawing away.

“Um, uh excuse me?” He asked, twitching.

The blond smirked, the off tilt of his mouth mean, belittling. “What’s your name?”

“I— uh…” Richard stammered, his body jerking again when a hand landed on his shoulder.

Whipping his head around, Richard was met with an unimpressed expression from the Hooli C.E.O.

His eyebrows were furrowed. “Where have you been?”

Without waiting for a response, Gavin corralled Richard in with a hand on his lower back, leading him toward the large balcony near the back, away from the blond. Richard, strangely comforted by the rescue, turned his head to thank the older man, but paused when he saw the look on the other man’s face.

“Moonlighting, were we?”

Richard’s face heated and he shook his head quickly. “N-no, Gavin. I don’t know why he approached me.”

“I’m joking, Richard.” The C.E.O. brushed off, coming to a stop once they reached the railing. “People want what they can’t have. It’s no different in this case.”

They were quiet for a moment when a server came by, delivering a flute of champagne to Richard and a glass of scotch for the C.E.O.

“Do you know why I bring you to these things, Richard?” Gavin asked, taking a drink.

Fidgeting with his own glass, Richard shook his head. “No, Gavin.”

The older man scowled. “Don’t be lazy, Richard. Think.”

Scrunching his nose, Richard’s eyes darted around the party, scanning individual interactions, noting the frivolity of it all. “You’re bored.”

“I’m bored,” Gavin agreed nodding his head, his answering smile unkind. “And you provide entertainment, Richie… in more ways than one.” Moving his hand down Richard’s back, Gavin motioned with his head back towards the party. “Look.” He whispered, pleased when Richard obeyed immediately. “Directly to your left. Do you see them?”

Richard nodded, embarrassment staining his cheeks red when his eyes fell on the group of 40-something year old men who appeared to be looking back their way.

“They all know, Richie.” Gavin continued, breath hot against Richard’s ear. “Everyone is losing their minds over my kept boy. Have you ever considered expanding your horizon a little bit? You spread your legs so nicely for me; I bet you’d be a pro if you decided to go full-time. Grow your audience.”

Richard felt himself shrink, his body tensing inward, but Gavin’s grip around his waist was a reminder that there was no place to go, no where to hide. He would have to endure whatever this was for as long as Gavin wanted him to. Allowing Richard a couple minutes to squirm in discomfort, Gavin laughed at the display, every bit the sociopath Richard always worried he was.

“Ready to go to work?” Gavin asked, downing the rest of his scotch, motioning over a server to take the glass as well as Richard’s untouched champagne.

Mortified and subdued, Richard could only jerk his head up and down once in a nod, letting Gavin drag him back through the room of people, this time, their eyes like pinpricks on his skin.

Coming to the side wall, Gavin pushed Richard into a single occupancy restroom, slamming the door shut behind them before descending on Richard, biting and sucking at the skin underneath his jawline, forcing the younger man’s head to tilt up. Underneath him, Richard slammed his eyes shut, biting his tongue to quell every sound that threatened to spill out of him.

Gavin, ever observant, noticed right away.

“Don’t get shy on me, Richie.” The older man growled, shoving Richard harder into the door, tugging the dress shirt out from where it had been tucked. “Those noises are mine. I paid for them, understand?”

When Richard bit back another sound, Gavin slapped him, open palm flying across the younger man’s face, leaving a red imprint in its wake. “I said, understand?”

With a hiccup, Richard nodded. “Y-yes. G-got it.”

“Good.” Gavin stepped back, unzipping his own slacks. “Now show me what a good slut you can be.”

Dropping to his knees, Richard tried, but the C.E.O. was set on making the task difficult for him, grasping Richard by the scruff of his neck, forcing him to take more than he could handle at once. Thrusting into the younger man’s mouth, Richard choked, attempting to draw away only to be held in place. When Richard whined loudly, Gavin pushed him off, sneering down at the younger man.

“Can’t even suck dick properly.” He spat, his face ugly with anger. Moving to sit on the small bench in the corner of the restroom, Gavin sighed loudly as he lowered himself down. “Disappointing.”

Picking himself off the floor, Richard stumbled over to stand in front of the seated man, his head hanging low, awaiting his instructions.

“I want you to try again.” The C.E.O. said, leaning back against the restroom wall, his legs spreading wide. “If you want to get ahead, Richie, you should take some fucking pride in your work. Maybe if you had a better work ethic your little app would have actually been something. Too bad we’ll never know.”

Gavin made a gesture for Richard to come closer. “C’mon, Richie. Let’s do this right.”

It felt like the blood in his veins had been replaced by ice water, his chest tight, his fingers numb. Lowering himself to the floor again, this time between the older man’s spread thighs, Richard took Gavin’s member in hand, pumping him once before bending over, tonguing at the head. Taking the other man in his mouth, Richard hollowed his cheeks and sucked. Fingers immediately twisted into Richard’s hair, pulling him forward and forcing the other man’s cock further down his throat. Breathing harshly through his nose, Richard tried to relax but found it difficult to keep focused. He had never been particularly good at this, his gag reflex too sensitive, and with Gavin thrusting roughly into his mouth, fucking his throat, Richard didn’t stand much of a chance.

Swallowing around Gavin’s dick, Richard was relieved when he felt the other man shudder, humming in response, hoping to end this as quickly as possible. Bobbing his head up and down in quick succession, Richard sucked hard, laving his tongue along the veins on the underside of Gavin’s cock, the older man’s moan validation. Richard continued bobbing his head, alternating between sucking on the tip and swallowing around Gavin’s whole length, trying to ignore the painful fist in his hair.

When it seemed like Gavin was getting close, the fist pulled tighter and tighter. Yanking Richard’s mouth off of him, Gavin kept a firm grip on the hair on the back of the younger man’s neck, his cum spurting over the side of his face, over his reddened mouth, some landing in his curls. Letting go of the younger man, Gavin let out a long exhale of breath, slumping backward. “Clean me up.” He barked.

Standing on shaky legs, Richard crossed the small bathroom to the sink, wetting a paper towel before returning to the C.E.O. Wiping at the other man, Richard tucked him back into his pants before zipping him up, his eyes all the while lowered, set on the floor.

Standing, Gavin grabbed Richard by his collar, tugging him close enough so that the older man could brush a small kiss against the unmarked side of Richard's face. “I expect better next time,” he said gruffly before pushing Richard aside, unlocking the bathroom door, and letting it swing shut behind him.

Alone, shivering, and covered in another man’s semen, Richard felt like the world was crumbling beneath him. He would have to leave this room and walk through a crowd of the most successful people in the industry and when they saw him they would _know exactly what he had just done_. His breathing was coming in quick and frequent, his heartbeat a wild thud inside his chest, his body trembling.

He needed Jared.


	10. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jared comes through for Richard in his time of need.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alert, alert. Hurt/comfort ahead. Plus distract-me-from-my-problems sex. Plus some terrible writing waaaah.
> 
> ... Edited slightly after original post...

Jared’s phone was ringing. 

Stretching up from his spot on the loveseat, Jared grasped at the cellphone lying on his coffee table, flipping it over to see the _Richard Hendricks_ flashing on the screen. Something like worry flashed through him. It was only nine-thirty and Richard had said he would be at the charity event until eleven. So why was he calling so early?

Swiping the answer button with his thumb, Jared brought the phone to his ear, “Richard? Is everything okay?”

The other end of the line was quiet at first, Jared making out only the sound of strained breathing on the other end. When no other response was forthcoming and the labored wheezing noises grew louder, Jared realized what was happening and shot up off the couch in search of his keys immediately.

“Richard, listen to me.” He grabbed the key ring off the counter of the kitchen island, pocketing them before slipping his shoes on in the entryway, his jacket already tucked underneath his arm. “You’re having a panic attack. Everything is going to be okay, just listen to my voice. I need you to put one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach, okay?” 

With his neck craned awkwardly to the side, effectively sandwiching his phone between his ear and shoulder, Jared exited his apartment quickly, locking the door behind him before vaulting down the staircase. 

“Now open your mouth and exhale just a little bit, like you’re annoyed. Try and relax your shoulders too, if you can.” Jared instructed, unlocking his car before throwing himself inside, buckling up and pulling out of the space in one fluid stream of actions. Aware that his driving was on the erratic side, Jared chalked it up to necessity, his first priority being to get to Richard as quickly as possible. “Now you’ll need to close your mouth, Richard and push your stomach out by inhaling slowly through your nose. Feel how your tummy is pushing into your hand? That’s good, go slowly. Only inhale as much as feels comfortable.”

Through the speaker, Jared could hear the stuttering inhale clearly enough, the noise reassuring.

“Okay, sweetheart.” Jared continued, his foot pressing into the accelerator, intending to beat an upcoming yellow light. “Pause for just a second and then I want you to pull your stomach in by exhaling through your mouth. There you go. Is that easier? Okay, let’s do it again, just like before.”

Jared repeated the steps a few more times, listening as Richard’s breathing became less shallow and labored and more even, fuller. As Richard's breathing began to flow more easily with each repetition, so did Jared's, whose own heart was thumping wildly in his chest. When Jared reached the point in which he could fully convince himself that Richard was no longer in danger of passing out, he paused his instructions and prodded for details.

“Richard, I’m coming to get you.” Jared informed him calmly, feeling nowhere near as composed underneath the surface of whatever mask of faux togetherness he was exuding. “I’m heading downtown, but the problem is I don’t know where you are exactly. Do you think you're able to speak now? Maybe you could text me the address?”

A wobbly breath filled Jared’s ear before Richard’s voice could be heard over the line. “The Hilton. I-I’m locked in a bathroom on the penthouse floor. I-I uh d-don’t know if I can leave. _They’ll see me_ , Jared.”

The Hilton was close by; he could be there in a matter of minutes. Taking a deep breath, Jared pressed his foot even harder against the accelerator. “Hold on, Richard. I’m close. Just keep breathing and stay where you are.”

Listening to the other man’s sobbing breaths for the next several blocks was hell for Jared, the whining noise of discomfort escaping Richard from time to time a clear indication that he wasn’t through the woods just yet. He tried filling the other man's ear with comforting chatter, even tried repeating the breathing steps, but nothing would soothe Richard to the point of ending his panic.

Once he finally reached the valet outside the entrance of the hotel, Jared's car came to a screeching halt. Stepping out onto the pavement, Jared crushed a few large bills into the waiting attendant’s hand along with his keys with a firm instruction to keep his car by the curb before running towards the glass doors. Once inside the hotel, Jared raced toward the elevator, taking it up to the top floor, all the while reassuring a still panicking Richard that he would be there soon. Finding the restroom was a relative shit show at first, Jared working his way through the large body of people only to be shoved and bumped into at every turn, unable to hear Richard over obtrusive noise from the party, but once he had crossed the large room Jared found what he was looking for relatively quickly. Rapping his knuckles lightly on the door while speaking into his phone simultaneously, Jared prayed that this was the one. “It’s me. Let me in.”

It took a moment, but the door cracked open slightly, giving Jared enough space and time to slip inside before shutting it immediately behind him. Reengaging the lock, Jared turned around and was met with the terrible sight of a man clearly on the verge of breakdown. Richard's suit was in chaos, a large stain visible near the collar of his shirt. His dress shirt appeared as if it had been soaked through, perhaps as a result of Richard trying to address the stain but ultimately being unsuccessful. It was also missing a few buttons, almost as though someone had pulled roughly at the fabric, dislodging them in their haste. What was even more apparent, however, was the side of Richard's face, bright red in the florescent light. It looked like the beginnings of a bruise, the outline of a handprint shockingly clear against Richard’s pale cheek.

“Richard…” Jared gasped, stepping forward. 

The other man was trembling violently, his breathing still stilted and inefficient. Delicately taking the other man’s hands by the wrist, Jared pressed one onto his own stomach before positioning the other over Richard’s like he had instructed over the phone. 

“Just like before,” he whispered as he modeled a gentle sigh of breath, pausing before slowly inhaling through his nose. “We’re going to do this until you’re ready, okay? Follow my lead. There you go.”

They stood there, in the small bathroom for a few minutes, breathing loudly but steadily until Richard could regain control over his breathing. When it seemed like the worst had passed, Richard slumped into Jared, his head coming to rest against the other man’s collarbone, a shuddering sob escaping his lips.

“M’sorry.” He whispered, curling his hands into Jared’s jacket as the taller man wrapped his arms carefully around him. “Didn’t know what to do. Couldn’t breathe.”

Stricken, Jared shook his head, hugging Richard closer, although he was careful to provide Richard with enough room to breath unrestrained.

“You did the right thing, Richard.” He said after a moment, his voice tender. “How’re you feeling?”

Richard butted his head against Jared’s shoulder lightly and groaned. “My chest hurts, my stomach feels like it’s in knots, and I’m going to fucking die in this room because there’s no way I can leave looking like this. Everyone will know in a fucking heartbeat.”

Pulling back, Jared fixed Richard with a stern look. “We’re leaving this room, Richard. It’s just a matter of being smart about it.” 

His eyes ran over Richard’s attire, evaluating before a solution came to him. 

“Take off your shirt and put this on,” Jared instructed removing his own jacket and pulling the cotton polo over his head, offering the garment to Richard. 

Disoriented but compliant, Richard slipped out of his blazer, setting it aside before unbuttoning the stained, damp dress shirt. Tugging Jared’s polo over his head, Richard watched as the other man took the sullied shirt from where Richard had dropped it, shoving it to the bottom of the trash bin by the sink. Returning to the couch where he had left his jacket, Jared tugged it back on over his bare chest, zipping up the material until it fully covered any visible skin.

“Now we’re just going to straighten you up a smidge and we’ll be all set to go,” Jared promised, his hands smoothing at the material of Richard’s suit, adjusting the tuck of his borrowed shirt, and buttoning up the blazer partially before combing a few fingers through the other man’s unruly curls.

“You’ll pass.” Jared decided, taking a look at his rushed work. “Do you think you’re ready to get out of here?”

Watching Jared with a hunted look, Richard seemed lost, his lips trembling under the strain of the past hour, the complete exhaustion on his face plain as day.

“I can’t.” He whispered, squeezing his eyes shut, wanting to die. He knew he was acting like a baby, but the thought of re-entering the party was paralyzing, the idea of humiliating himself further too much to bear.

Gentle hands shook him lightly and when he opened his eyes, Jared’s kind, earnest face was looking down at him in a way that Richard couldn’t say no to. Even when manipulation was the furthest thought on the business exec’s mind, he managed to be the ultimate motivator.

“You can.” He said, sincerity dripping from the two words alone, his blue eyes wide and bright. “Trust me.”

Fortunately, Jared was right.

They escaped the party without any additional hassle, Jared navigating them through the crowd, using his body to shield Richard from most of the inquisitive glances, careful to avoid any more unwanted attention. Leading Richard into the elevator, Jared pulled Richard in close as soon as the doors slid shut, pressing his nose into the other man’s soft curls, reminding Richard to breath and keep calm. In return, Richard wrapped himself around Jared, finding comfort in the cocoon of Jared's scent. Arriving at the lobby, they pulled apart and continued out, Jared collecting his keys from the valet who nodded and eyed Richard curiously. 

Once inside the car, Jared made sure his voice was calm and deferential before speaking. “Where do you want to go?” He asked, cataloguing the way Richard was fidgeting anxiously in his seat.

Over the shift gear, Richard gave Jared a pleading look, almost like he was about to admit something embarrassing. “I don’t want to be alone.”

Jared tried to suppress the sharp inhale that he felt build in his chest. “Okay.” He said instead.

The drive to Jared’s apartment was hard.

Richard was only barely keeping it together, at one point reaching across the shift gear to steal Jared’s free hand, folding it between his own like something precious. A lifeline maybe. If the contact helped, Jared was glad to provide it, but Richard’s palm was clammy and the fingers tucked against his own still twitched with anxious energy. When Jared pulled into his space and shut off the engine, Richard’s hand remained clenched around his own and although Jared was loath to make the other man let go they would need to separate if they wanted to leave the car.

Jared’s rubbed his thumb back and forth on the side of the other man’s hand, drawing his attention. “Richard… Sweetheart, we’re here.”

Richard glanced around before looking at Jared and then finally their clasped hands.

“Oh.” He said shortly, flexing his fingers once, twice, before releasing Jared’s hand, shuddering loudly when Jared drew away.

“Come on.” Jared coaxed, pushing his own door open. “Let’s go on up.”

Relieved when Richard followed his lead, pushing his own side door open, Jared got out quickly, meeting Richard on the other side of the car so as to allow the other man the opportunity to reestablish contact if he wished to. Which turned out to be just what the other man wanted for as soon as Jared reached him, Richard pressed snuggly into the taller man’s side, hooking his arm around Jared’s, their hands once again clasped. They walked up the staircase like that, Richard refusing to release his grip in the slightest now that there was nothing stopping him.

Once inside, Jared led Richard to his bedroom where he helped the other man change out of the ruined formal wear, exchanging the rumpled suit for a pair of Jared’s sweats, Richard all the while docile but otherwise unresponsive.

Worried, Jared wracked his brain for something, anything to remove the distant look from Richard’s face. “Why don’t you just hold on a second, I’m just going to grab—”

“No!” Richard shouted suddenly as Jared made a move to step passed him, using his body as a barrier between the taller man and the door, seemingly coming alive in the moment, but not in the way Jared intended. “You need to stay. I-I…” Stumbling over his words and pinking with distress, Richard looked as though he was on the cusp of another attack.

“Hey, hey.” Jared reassured quickly, grasping Richard’s arms comfortingly, task forgotten. “I’m not going anywhere. What’s wrong?”

Richard shook his head, his own hands coming up to grasp at Jared. “I can’t stop _thinking_.” 

“What can I do?” Jared asked, running out of ideas.

He could ask for this and Jared would help. Jared would always help. “I n-need you to be in charge for awhile…” Richard stuttered, feeling shaky and weak, but desperate.

“Richard?”

Jared wouldn’t deny him this. 

“If I don’t have any control, I-I can’t make any mistakes.” Richard explained as best he could, the underlying whine in his voice sounding so unattractive to his own ears, but he found that he was unable to do anything about it. 

Jared would understand. 

Richard hoped to god he’d understand. 

“ _Please_.” He begged, his voice hoarse and small

For a moment neither of them said or did anything, but Jared’s face spoke volumes; the shock, confusion, and fear were obvious. But Richard could wait for an answer. Jared hadn’t said no. Not yet.

“Okay,” Jared breathed after a beat and the relief that washed over Richard was almost heady in its intensity. “Okay.” He repeated, his voice stronger the second time, his expression screwed up into one of staunch determination. “I want to try, Richard, but... we’re doing this my way. Is that clear?”

Richard nodded, his head bobbing up and down clumsily, the gesture tinged with desperation.

This wasn’t something Jared had prepared for and it wasn’t something Jared was even sure he could do, but for Richard he would try just about anything. So Jared went with what he knew and set about unzipping his jacket, shucking his shoe once his chest was bare before placing both items out of the way. At a loss for what should come next, Jared found the edge of the bed and took a seat, holding out his hand in invitation.

“Come here,” Jared prompted, wiggling his fingers in a silly sort of way that put Richard at ease, reminding him that this wasn’t just anyone in front of him; this was Jared. Sweet, attentive, wouldn’t harm a fly, Jared. Richard padded over eagerly, himself unsure of what was meant to come next only to find reassurance in the gentle hands that framed his face and brought him down for a quick kiss. Their noses bumped then rubbed together for a moment before Jared pulled away, his expression bright and welcoming. Jared’s smile was so warm and tender that Richard felt dizzy and lightheaded at the sight of it. What did he ever do to deserve that sweet, loving face?

“C’mon.” Sure hands guided Richard forward, moving him into place so that he could climb onto the bed, effectively straddling Jared’s lap. “There we go.” Jared cooed, running his hands along Richard’s bare arms before wrapping his own arms around the other man’s back, reeling him in closer.

“I like when you’re close to me like this,” Jared admitted, his lips by Richard’s mouth, teasing soft kisses out of him between words. Scooting backwards onto the bed, Jared dipped against the mattress until his back pressed into the sheets, Richard splayed out on top of him. Twisting up for another kiss, Jared sighed in contentment when Richard’s mouth met his, the smaller man humming softly against his lips.

On a whim, Jared rolled them over, pinning Richard between him and the mattress, his thigh pressing forward to nudge the other man’s legs apart. _Oh_. Richard was already hard.

That was unexpectedly arousing. “So good for me,” Jared groaned, peeking down at the clothed erection poking into his thigh.

Unprepared for the praise, Richard’s reaction was automatic, his face flushing to a light pink, the kind that made Jared feel crazy, hungry; the smaller man pressing closer, as though the words were a touch all on their own. 

They continued making out for a bit, Jared’s hands exploring Richard’s torso, one coming to rest over Richard’s heart at one point and settling there. His other hand, however, pushed upward until he was able to wrap his fingers lightly around the other man’s throat.

“I’ve got you.” Jared breathed against the gasping mouth beneath him, thumb rubbing carefully across Richard’s Adam’s apple while he dipped in for another sweet kiss. Jared’s hand was warm and unyielding, his fingers fanning out to curl around the vulnerable flesh, forcing Richard to keep his head stationary against the pillow. There was something hypnotic about the slight pressure of Jared’s thumb against Richard’s pulse, the sensation increasing tenfold as the thumb dug in just a little bit more.

“Breathe, sweetheart.” Jared whispered, pulling back, eyes intent and skimming over the slight bob of Richard’s throat. “Just breathe. I have you.”

And like that it clicked.

Richard took a deep breath; his chest expanding beneath the hand settled there, his Adam’s apple bobbing up into the press of Jared’s thumb. There was no restriction, he was fine, he could breath, and the air that filled his lungs made him feel dizzy and weightless. Tilting his head to the side, baring his neck more fully, Richard released a shuddering sigh, his body going boneless as the tension melted away.

“Good.” Jared leaned in immediately, a broad sweep of his tongue from Richard’s collarbone up to his neck drawing a gasp from the other man.

“You’re perfect.” Jared said, his lips pushing the words into Richard’s skin while his hands moved on, exploring below Richard’s waistline, searching. And then Jared’s fingertips were right there, brushing against the head, not yet touching properly but close, so close, if Richard moved only a little he could— but no, he shouldn’t. Only what Jared thought he deserved. That's what he wanted. He wanted Jared to decide.

Jared played with Richard for a little bit, studying him with fingertips before palming the hardening length, pleased when the member twitched with interest in his hand. “Do you realize that, Richard?” He asked a moment later. “Just how incredibly perfect you are?”

 _No._ Richard flushed and averted his eyes.

“No?” Jared asked, correcting Richard’s gaze with a guiding hand on his jaw, bringing his focus back to Jared. “I’ll need you to say it.”

Richard whined, shaking his head, all the while failing to restrain the little, seeking thrusts of his hips, his body desperate for more.

“Richard” Jared sighed, something like disappointment tainting the loveliness of his voice, his free hand moving back to his hip in order to restrain those naughty thrusts. “If you don’t say it,” Jared twisted his wrist on the upstroke. “I can’t give you exactly what you want.” His thumb flicked over the tip, dragging precome across the head. “And I want to give you everything you want.” The motion stopped.

No, no, no. That wasn’t what he wanted at all.

When the hand disappeared entirely, desperation set in, forcing Richard to act. “I’m, I’m…” Richard tried, having trouble pushing the words out. His head felt like cotton, but his body felt like one giant itch, one that up until that moment, Jared had been doing a fantastic job at scratching.

“I-I’m per—uhhngh…” Jared’s hand found his cock again, making the world shrink to the feeling of his nimble fingertips. “… perfect,” Richard finished, in a choked off gasp.

“Again.” Jared demanded, picking up speed, squeezing around him.

“I’m…” Richard gasped as he felt electric shocks dance over his skin. “… perfect.”

His sweatpants were removed, cold air brushed against the skin of his bare legs, and he shivered. “Again, Richard.”

Richard could hear the pop of a cap. “I’m—” Something slick rubbed against his hole.

“What?” The hand around his cock resumed its movement.

Breathing was becoming difficult.

“Perfect.”

Jared’s smile was dazzling.

“That’s right.”

Jared’s finger circled his entrance a few times before slowly pressing in, sinking inside as his other hand continued to stroke his cock, Jared’s mouth finding a spot high on his inner thigh, nipping at the skin there playfully. Richard let out a gasp and then a moan, his hips bucking in a futile attempt to receive more, fear of reprimands forgotten, just needing more, more, more. Adding another finger, Jared continued to rub and twist inside of him, pressing further in as Richard loosened around him.

Grazing that spot that drove Richard wild with his fingers, Jared brushed a kiss against Richard’s squirming hip, chuckling softly into the skin.

“Just like that, Richard. You’re so sweet to me.”

Richard closed his eyes. It was too much to have all of his senses stimulated at once. He was so close. He was sweating, his body shaking, his cock so hard and so close and— “Jared. I-I’m ready.”

Richard heard another hushed chuckle and felt the other man shift upward, his chest coming to hover atop of Richard’s, his mouth pressing somewhere near Richard’s collarbone.

“You’re going to cum like this, sweetheart.” Jared murmured, the hand still stroking his cock tightening its grip. “So sweet and perfect around my fingers. I want to feel it, that moment when you squeeze around me. Will you give me that, Richard?”

Richard mewled loudly, pleadingly when a third finger was added, pressing deeper, nudging that place that had him thrashing. His back arched into the intrusion, wanting to be stretched tight, filled up. “W-what about you?”

“Another time.” Jared dismissed, his fingers pumping in and out of Richard with a new sense of urgency. “Right now, I just want to see how good you can be.”

Richard’s muscles were quaking now. His breathing was hard, and his hips could not keep still. Whatever control he had left in the situation he was on the verge of losing as he was quickly reaching his tipping point.

“ _Jared_ ,” Richard sobbed out, jerking violently as the orgasm tore through him, clinging to Jared while his body convulsed with pleasure. Tears ran down the corners of his eyes as sticky stripes of cum spilled onto his stomach, his chest heaving.

“Thank you, sweetheart.” A nose brushed against his own, lips pressed the corner of his gasping mouth. “You’re so good for me. So good.”

 

***

 

“I’ll understand if you don’t want to talk about it,” Jared whispered later, once the sweat had dried and they were lying unmoving in the aftermath. Back pressed against Jared’s chest, hands curled around the arm that draped over his own chest, Richard listened.

“It’s just— ” Jared paused, his lips pressing into the back of Richard’s neck. “I never want you to feel like you can’t share whatever’s bothering you with me. I’m here for you, Richard, and whether that’s in the capacity of a sympathetic ear or uh— stress relief, I’m glad to help any way I can. I just hope that you know that.”

“Thanks, Jared. I want to… talk, just not now. Not yet.”

“That’s fine, Richard. As long as you know.”

“I do.” Richard paused. “Jared?”

“Yes?”

“Can you hold me tighter? I still feel… I don’t…”

Jared cradled Richard against his body, wrapping his arm tighter around his waist, hooking his chin over the curve of Richard’s shoulder.

“Of course.”


	11. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jared is worried about Richard and things progress from there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't even know anymore!

Below him was the soft muted noise of snuffling, before a heavy sigh, and then a lingering silence. The rise and fall of Richard’s chest was a soothing motion beneath Jared’s arm, still trapped in Richard’s vice-like grip, forcing him to remain close in the night. Jared didn’t mind, pleased by the proximity, his own territorial nature manifesting in the fan of his fingers over the steady thud of the sleeping man’s heartbeat.

Jared just wished he could sleep.

With his neck craned at an awkward angle, Jared’s eyes traced the popcorn texture that covered his ceilings, his thoughts darting around clumsily in his head. What do I do about this? He searched for the solution in the black cloak of the darkened room, his eyes most likely glazed with exhaustion, his brain addled, all the while his heart racing.

How do I protect him from this? He’s going to get hurt. He’s already _been_ hurt. He’ll be hurt _again_. 

He hugged Richard closer, causing the other man to squeal softly in his sleep before he came to settle, melting back into Jared’s embrace, content in the cocoon of limbs he found himself in.

Jared just wanted to sleep, but the solution he sought wouldn’t be found behind closed eyes.

 

***

 

Jared didn’t remember falling asleep.

Cracking open his eyes against the sunlight streaming in through his bedroom window, Jared squinted at the empty sheets beside him, an unpleasant feeling building in the pit of his stomach. More alert than he wished to be, his heartbeat an insistent upheaval caged within his chest, Jared bolted upright, intending to search his apartment from top to bottom only to pause when the sound of clinking reached his ears. There was a noise coming from the kitchen. The clang of metal on metal, the running of water, a rumbling sizzle. Taking a calming breath, Jared maneuvered himself off the creaky mattress before padding across the carpet of the small room. Finding the door already ajar, Jared pushed it the rest of the way open and, peering into adjoining living space, was relieved to see a familiar figure hunched over the stove. Richard’s state of dress was another unexpected but familiar sight. Jared recognized his own heather gray sweatpants hung low over the other man’s slim hips as well as the red Vassar crew neck which all but swallowed the smaller man, the sleeves pooling around his wrists as he poked at the contents of the skillet he was currently stationed above.

Taking a few steps into the hallway and towards the kitchen, his bare feet slapping against the wooden floor, Richard heard his approach and swung around, greeting Jared with a surprised, wide smile.

“Good morning!” Richard greeted, the words leaving his mouth almost like a rush of air. He seemed to be buzzing, inhabited by the type of energy Jared usually ascribed to someone who had over-caffeinated, but the exhaustion written in the bags of his eyes left little to the illusion of a restful night leading Jared to believe that the energetic display was less genuine than he would have liked it to be. 

Richard continued twittering over his shoulder; focus back on the scramble on the pan. “I hope it’s okay that I went through your fridge. I made breakfast! Well, eggs… but there’s toast too and there’s a pot of chai on the counter for you.”

Squashing down his concern, Jared took one of the mugs already set out on the counter, pouring himself a serving from the small ceramic teapot. “This is great, Richard. Thank you.” 

“Did you sleep okay?” Jared asked after taking a sip, his restraint temporary and selective.

Doling out the simple scramble onto two plates, Richard rounded the counter and placed them onto the dining table, motioning for Jared to join him. “Yeah, uh well, kind of? I woke up super early and couldn’t go back to sleep, so I just got up.” Richard doubled back to the kitchen, grabbing the plate of toast he had left behind. “Do you want Tabasco with your eggs?”

Jared nodded as he poured Richard a mug of tea, placing it at the end of the table.

“Yes please.”

Placing the small bottle by Jared’s plate, Richard sat down, eyes intent as he watched Jared take his first bite.

“How are they?" Richard asked. "Okay? I don’t think I’ve ever cooked for anyone before.”

Jared smiled around the mouthful before swallowing. “They’re perfect, Richard.”

As the words left his mouth, Jared watched in surprise as the rosy flush crept into Richard’s cheeks.

“I’m glad.” Richard murmured, his nose disappearing from view as he took a sip from his own mug. “I’m not usually much of a cook. Not like you anyway.”

“Well, practice does make perfect.” Spearing some egg on the end of his fork, Jared smeared them in hot sauce before stuffing them in this mouth, chewing before an idea came to him. “You should come over next time I make that jerk ribs recipe my foster mom from high school sent me. You could pick up a few things.”

Richard laughed. “Don’t you think that might be a little too advanced? Like, just because I managed not to overcook the eggs _today_ doesn’t mean I’m ready for culinary somersaults.”

“Oh, it’ll be fine.” Jared reassured quickly, trying to hide how pleased it made him to hear that his efforts in the kitchen were appreciated. “Anyway, cooking is probably pretty similar to coding if you think about it.” 

Hiding the sharp bark of laughter behind the sleeve of his borrowed sweatshirt, Richard regarded Jared with an incredulous look; the crinkling at the corners of his eyes giving away the fact that he thought Jared was being ridiculous.

“Don’t laugh, Richard.” Jared chided, undeterred by the muffled snort that followed. “They both involve creative, hands-on work that requires not only acquired skill but also a strong understanding of basic principles of science and mathematics, which can result in beautifully crafted works that we’re able to interact with. If you can master one I don’t see why you wouldn’t be able to master the other.”

“I don’t think I know a single programmer who’s able to cook anything more difficult than a grilled cheese.” Richard said, taking another bite.

Jared gestured at their plates. “Come on, eggs are more complicated than a grilled cheese, so really you’re already on the rise in terms of your culinary skills.”

Richard didn’t look convinced. “Your optimism is frightening sometimes.”

“I was given the superlative of ‘best attitude’ my senior year of college.” Jared said, somehow managing to look smug about it.

Richard snorted. “Somehow that doesn’t surprise me.”

The silence that fell upon the table was comfortable, both of the slim men taking a moment to eat in earnest, the clinking of cutlery and the sloshing of tea filling the break in conversation. The companionable quiet, however, had the unintended consequence of pushing Jared’s thoughts back to the problem at hand. There was no way that the accommodating, endearing man currently scoping egg onto a folded slice of toast in front of him was going to escape unharmed when involved with a man like Gavin Belson. 

But what could he do? 

Out of respect for Richard’s own wishes, Jared had already pledged not to bring up the unpleasantness of the previous evening. And it wasn’t like Jared could tell Richard to quit and walk away from the money. That would be unfair and Jared didn’t have the right to make a demand like that. 

What Jared could do was pivot. 

Or more precisely, help Richard pivot. Plenty of programming gigs in the valley provided decent compensations, well above what would be considered a living wage, and if Richard could properly sell himself, then Gavin Belson would no longer be an issue. But Richard suffered from low self-esteem, consistently underestimating his own worth out of some misplaced notion that his work was subpar, so it was unlikely that he’d take any proactive measures when it came to a new job hunt. Since that was the case, Jared would have to practice a certain level of discretion with the plan formulating in his head, taking care not to go behind Richard’s back exactly, but… do a little recon.

Jared leaned forward, catching the other man’s eyes before running his gaze over the other man in a flirtatious manner. “You look good in my Alma mater’s colors.” He said easily, watching as Richard blushed and all to quickly began fidgeting with the too large sleeves, the nervous tic a now familiar habit.

Coughing to distract from his the flare of red rushing to his cheeks, Richard shrugged in faux nonchalance. “Technically, these were my college’s colors too.”

“Really?” Progress! “Where did you go to college?”

“Stanford, but I dropped out. I got through maybe a semester and a half before deciding it wasn’t for me.”

“You set out to work on your application instead, right? What became of that?”

“My application?” Richard visibly deflated. “It wasn’t well received.”

Jared sidestepped the comment. “May I ask about its function?

Richard nodded, although his lips puckered as if something sour had landed on his tongue. “Pied Piper— uh like the fairy tale? – It’s a proprietary site, a search engine for musicians. You’d be able to search the whole world of recorded music to see if you’re infringing on someone else’s music.” The sigh that tore its way from his lungs was loud, his nostrils flaring. “The Hooli hiring board hated it, wouldn’t even let me show them what it could do.”

“Could I see it perhaps?” Jared inquired, intrigued. If the Hooli recruiters hadn’t examined the program then there was a chance that they had overlooked something with prospect.

“Yeah, I mean sure.” Richard continued, looking up at Jared in a hopeful but anxious sort of way. “I think I left it up on GitHub, so all you’d have to do is search the name.”

Jared smiled brightly, reaching across the table to intercept Richard’s hand before squeezing it in his own. “I will. I want to see what it is you do.”

Squeezing back, Richard returned the smile hesitantly.

Pleased with the talk, Jared glanced over at the clock hanging on his living room wall, suddenly aware of the time.

“Oh shoot. I’ve got to get moving, but ah…” Rising from the table, Jared disappeared into the kitchen, pulling open one of the junk drawers and fumbling around with its contents before returning to the table with something clutched in his hand. “This is a key to the apartment.” He offered the item to Richard, who took it with a hesitant twitch of his hand. “If you want to take your time…” Jared continued, refusing to worry whether he was moving too fast. “Or whatever. You can stay for as long as you want.”

Richard looked as though he was having trouble swallowing. “Thanks, Jared.”

“You’re welcome.” The moment hung in the air, both of them aware of what the key really meant but refusing to put it into words. “Um so… I’m going to go get ready.” Jared jerked his head towards the bathroom, drawing away even though his eyes remained fixed on Richard.

“Okay.”

Fifteen minutes, a shower, and a change of clothes later, Jared emerged from the hallway into the living room to find Richard curled on top of the loveseat, his feet hiding between the cushions as he thumbed through a birdwatcher’s guide Jared had received in the mail.

“Hey Richard, I’m heading out.” Jared called out, slinging his messenger bag over his shoulder.

Richard’s head peaked out from around the back of the couch, one hand coming up to wave Jared over. “Will you come over here first?”

Curious but distracted, Jared pattered over. “What’s up?”

The hand that waved him over grasped at his tie and a second later pulled Jared into a hunched slouch. Taking advantage of the new angle, Richard rose from his position, kissing Jared soundly, his lips curving upward at the contact. Exhaling sharply through his nose, Jared was slightly taken aback, Richard’s lips expertly coaxing his own lips apart, startling a soft moan from his mouth. Breathless, Richard drew away, loosening his grip on the article of clothing that kept Jared so deliciously close, letting the taller man go. “Bye.” He whispered, settling back into the couch, a barely there smile gracing his face.

“Oh.” Jared murmured in understanding, lips tingling. “Bye.”

 

***

 

Leaving Richard behind in his apartment after the sweet display on the couch had been next to impossible, but unfortunately for Jared, sick days could hardly be thrown around for morning dalliances with his boyfriend. Oh god, boyfriend. They hadn’t really used the word yet. It felt nice to think of Richard in those terms though.

Jared went about his day bouncing between the pleasant haze inspired by his morning with Richard and the building dread of his 11 o’clock meeting with Gavin. Being in a room alone with the C.E.O. had, in recent weeks, become more and more an exercise in restraint, each minute spent with the other man a minute in which Jared held himself back from saying something that would set more in motion than he was prepared to deal with.

Taking a deep breath as he entered Gavin’s office, Jared tried to keep his center as he laid eyes on the other man. Bent over his desk, distracted, Gavin appeared as he had always appeared before. Focused. Standoffish. Just like any other businessman. But Jared knew better, his gaze drifting over to the C.E.O.’s hands. 

Stepping more fully into the room, the C.E.O. acknowledged Jared with a wordless noise as he riffled through the papers on his desk.

“The fuck’s this I hear about the EndFrame breakthrough?” He grunted once Jared was standing by his side.

Jared’s heart sank at the tactless opening, but he soldiered on, his expression smoothing out into something unreadable.

“There were reports this morning suggesting that EndFrame has developed an engine, which if the reports are to be believed, has a verified Weismann score of 2.89, meaning that they have the capability of operating at the theoretical limit of loseless compression.”

“And where are we at with acquisition?”

“Nowhere.” Gavin lifted an eyebrow. “We don’t have any holdings with them, Gavin.”

“Why the fuck not? This is your job, Jared.”

Jared held up a hand to placate the other man, treading carefully with his next point.

“They have a non-compete clause with their sister company AlgoTrim, so we’re in no position to propose a buyout. We’d be essentially paying for something that we would ultimately be denied access to. Our best option would be to set up a meeting and send in a confederate, get as many details on the nature of their platform, and begin development as soon as possible.”

“Fine. But this is on you. Put the team together, get a meeting, and come back to me by this time week with results, understand?”

“Of course, Gavin.”

“One more thing.” The C.E.O. added.

Jared paused. “Yes, Gavin?”

“I need a cease and desist issued to Gawker immediately. Tell the lawyers, I want those pictures down by lunch, so send something with teeth, got it?”

Jared nodded. “I think so. Are there any other pertinent details I’ll need to communicate to the guys down in legal?

The eye-roll aimed at him seemed almost habit as Gavin waved him off, attention redirected back to the papers on his desk, Jared already forgotten.

Grateful for the brevity of their meeting, Jared escaped the room without another word and backtracked down the hallway toward his office, mind racing all the while. Entering the large department of cubicles, Jared walked down one of the long isles before noticing a small group of programmers gathered around an individual computer screen, whispering amongst themselves. Seeing this, Jared felt an urge to pause and address the lack of work being done, but really Jared just wanted to press on because at that moment there was nothing Jared wanted to do less than scold the group for messing around. 

It wasn’t until Jared’s eye caught a familiar figure in the pixels that he stopped dead in his tracks, his heart dropping into the pit of his stomach.

There, on the screen, was Richard. 

Even with his face out of view, the curly brown mop was a dead giveaway, the curve of his hunched shoulders familiar. But there, wrapped around him like a snake strangling its dinner, hand plainly palming at the younger man’s ass, was Gavin Belson. The picture was of poor quality, likely taken from a phone, the two figures cloaked for the most part by shadows. It was only a flash of pink light from the party that caught the C.E.O.’s smirking face, highlighting the suggestive position of his body against Richard’s. 

This was what Gavin wanted dealt with. This was why Richard had called him, humiliated, panicked, and afraid. This needed to be handled immediately.

“Excuse me.” Jared barked, letting a dangerous edge seep into his voice. “What is going on here?”

Unused to hearing that type of venom from the generally mild executive the group of programmers jerked away from the screen, some looking mortified while others just seemed disappointed by the distraction. Scanning the employees, Jared was glad to find that he could put a name to every face, which would make his next words that much more threatening. Jared stepped forward through the gap left in the huddle of coders and inspected the picture for a moment before reaching out to exit the window, making the image disappear entirely.

Jared turned back to the group.

“If each of you has the time to engage in this type of juvenile behavior during business hours than I’m afraid we here at Hooli aren’t challenging you to a sufficient enough level. Let me remedy that. You’ll each receive an email within about 10 minutes. I’ll need each attached program tweaked, de-bugged, and up and running by the end of the workday.”

When low groans left a few disgruntled mouths, Jared held up a stern hand, eyes narrowing.

“Keep in mind that if Mr. Belson caught wind of your collective indiscretions, there would have been no second chance here.” Jared turned away and then paused, adding. “That will be all.”

Keeping his head high as walked the rest of the distance to his office, Jared slid inside his own office, shutting the door in relief, finally alone. Crossing over to his own desk, Jared dropped into his chair, only just resisting the urge to drop his head in his hands and scream. Even though a small part of him wanted to indulge in the wash of negative emotions threatening his cool, Jared took a few more calming breathes before removing his phone from its cradle. Dialing the number for legal, Jared communicated the details of the infringement letter Gavin wished to be sent before following through on the emails of added work load to the programmers he had scolded earlier.

With a spare moment, Jared opened up a new window on his Internet browser, typing the website address for GitHub on the URL bar before doing a quick search for ‘Pied Piper’. Downloading the media player that came with the program, Jared played around with the application for a few minutes, calculating the pros and cons of the system as he went. Another user-focused application then, one that would reach only a limited audience and which presented itself as a little clunky, but was ultimately not bad. The quality of the audio files was fantastic actually, seemingly suffering from little to no degradation, and the search was insanely fast, almost as though Richard had found a way to complete a search with compressed files…

Pulling up another window, Jared dragged the application into the analysis program and waited.

“Holy shit.”


	12. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jared meets the guys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pumping the breaks on the sex and intrigue for a chapter or two. I’m playing catch up with this whole silly plot stuff, which I haven't completely worked out yet. Oh writer's block is a bummer. Sorry about it.

Fiddling with his phone, Jared checked the address on his text thread with Richard for what felt like the hundredth time. The sun, now hanging low in the sky, flooded his car in golden light, causing an annoying flare on his screen, forcing him to squint down at the too small lettering without much hope of deciphering what was there. Angling the device away from the window, Jared read the street numbers again, glancing up to see the same numbers painted on the mailbox in front of the sprawling ranch-styled residence he was idled in front of. It was a large house accompanied by a dead lawn and an outdated paint job. Jared had seen better, but he had also seen a lot worse.

So this was where Richard lived.

From the comfort of his seat, Jared found himself eyeing the loud yellow and green of the van parked in the driveway. The word _Aviato _was smattered over every available surface of the van’s exterior, almost aggressively so, a large white outline of a plane underlining the typography on the vehicle’s hood. Stepping out of his car Jared wandered up the driveway, vaguely recalling the airline booking aggregator that went with the name plastered all over the van. Aviato had been a startup acquired by one of the major airlines almost five years before. Jared couldn’t remember the finer details of the numbers, having only had a passing interest in the acquisition whilst it had actually occurred, but he did recall that the startup had sold for a rather hefty price for the time.__

__Dismissing the line of thought as he quickly approached the front door, Jared’s mind returned to the task at hand. Knocking lightly on the door, Jared only waited a moment before it swung open, revealing a nervous but pleased looking Richard in a hoody and sweats of his own._ _

__“What’s up?” Richard asked, stepping aside to allow Jared enough room to enter, which he did promptly. “Not that I’m not glad to see you again so soon, I am.” Richard continued, swiftly shutting the door and following Jared into the workroom. “But you didn’t really say what was going on in your text and it seemed kind of urgent whatever it is. I’ve just been kind of freaking out in my bedroom since then...”_ _

__Listening to Richard twitter anxiously behind him, Jared became distracted as he took in what Richard had affectionately described to him as “the hacker hostel,” eyes drawn to the large, unfinished wooden slab that served as a communal table at the center of the room, supporting perhaps a half dozen monitors and database servers. The place overall seemed a mess to Jared, scattered energy drink cans littered amongst the computers, the walls covered in tacky, mismatched garage sale art, cables and wiring curling off of almost every surface._ _

__When no answers seem forthcoming, Richard circled in front of Jared, effectively halting his progress further into the room, grabbing his attention with a warm hand on the Jared’s arm._ _

__“Hey.” Richard said slowly, his eyebrows furrowing. “What’s going on?”_ _

__Familiar with his own shortcomings in the past when it came to delivering sensitive information in an appropriate fashion, Jared gathered Richard’s hands between his own, leaning forward to place a small, calming peck on the other’s forehead._ _

__“So.” Jared began, his bottom lip curling into a slight grimace. “I’ve got some good news and some bad news, which would you like first?”_ _

__Richard searched Jared’s face wearily. “Depends. How bad is the bad news?”_ _

__“I’ll be honest, it’s not terribly good, but it’s also not the end of the world.”_ _

__“Okay, uh that first.”_ _

__Jared took a deep breath. “I want to preface this by assuring you that your face was completely obscured and your identity is still undisclosed.” Richard quirked an eyebrow, so Jared continued quickly. “But it looks like someone was able to snap a picture of you and Gavin at last night’s event.”_ _

__Richard blanched, the color draining from his face. “So, let me get this straight.” He croaked. “There’s a picture of me… and Gavin… circulating the Internet?”_ _

__Jared nodded, all the while keeping an eye on Richard’s breathing._ _

__“Have a lot of people seen it?”_ _

__“It’s hard to say, the image was up for around an hour. It’s been taken down, but all it takes is one download so…”_ _

__“Have you seen it?” Richard interrupted._ _

__Jared nodded again. “I have.”_ _

__“I also have a copy.” He continued, gesturing the messenger bag at his side. “From the guys in legal.”_ _

__Richard had a look of sick trepidation on his face. “Can I see it?”_ _

__Removing the hastily printed off image from his satchel, Jared handed the photo to Richard who snatched it, his usual timid nature forgone in his panic._ _

__“Shit. Fuck... Okay.” Richard fired off as he laid his eyes on the image. Pacing around the room, Richard continued to study the photo, his chest heaving yet thankfully never approaching anything indicative of a panic attack._ _

__“No, no you’re right.” He said after coming to a stop back in front of Jared. “It’s just the back of my head. That’s nothing, right?”_ _

__Jared gently took the photo back from the other man, sliding it back into the folds of his bag. “No one has a clue who you are and Gavin’s team is handling this. We were very fortunate.”_ _

__For a second Richard looked as though he smelt something rotten. “Was that the good news?”_ _

__“No, no, no.” Jared reassured quickly, suddenly feeling the same giddy excitement he had felt earlier in his office return as the worst of the news had been dealt with. “Richard, I had some time the today to look over Pied Piper...”_ _

__Richard’s face dropped again, smoothing out into something expressionless. “Oh.” He said lightly. “Okay.”__

Recognizing a self-defense mechanism when he saw it, Jared reeled Richard in close, his hands gripping Richard’s shoulders briefly in an affectionate squeeze before traveling up, cupping the back of Richard’s head. Richard’s own hands grappled for contact, sliding along Jared’s sides before coming to rest somewhere along his ribcage, his fingers fluttering nervously as he braced himself for whatever was coming next, still uncertain, always expecting the worse. 

__“It has come to my attention that you have perhaps greatly underestimated the capabilities of the program you’ve developed.” Jared began, aware that he was coming off less like a boyfriend and more like the profited-driven drone he was at work. “What I’m trying to say is that you’ve created something astounding, Richard. Something that has real potential.”_ _

__Richard appeared grateful, but unconvinced. “That’s really nice of you to say, Jared, but you’re probably the only person in the world that believes that.”_ _

__“Listen to me.” Jared said seriously, trying to convey the truth in his words. “I do this all of the time, Richard. I assess businesses, collate pros and cons, establish projected worth and what you have in Pied Piper could be huge. You need to rethink the packaging sure, switch your model to a business-focus one, rearrange some things in general but on the basis of your algorithm alone, Pied Piper scored a Weissman score of 2.89 on every test I ran this afternoon. Do you understand what this means? You have crafted a code that can compete with the best in the market, Richard. This could be incredible for you. There’s only one other company with a compression engine that could compare with what you have here and they’re not looking for buyers, which means everyone else in the valley is going to jump over themselves to seed an algorithm like this.”_ _

__Jared took a breath. Bringing a hand forward to run along Richard’s jaw, his thumb swiping across the hollow underneath his check bone, Jared let himself smile wide and excited. “This is your chance.”_ _

__Wrestling with the doubt that still clung to his thoughts, Richard leaned into Jared’s hand considering. “Are you being serious right now?”_ _

__Jared chuckled, pressing his forehead lightly into Richard’s._ _

__“Richard.” Jared murmured, lowering his voice to a giddy whisper. “This could be big.”_ _

__The creaking sound of the front door opening and its subsequent slam shut forced Richard’s attention away, his pale eyes widening slightly as they looked past Jared at whoever had just entered. Jerking backward, Richard removed himself from Jared entirely, running a shaky hand down his front._ _

__“Did I interrupt something?” A man with thick eyebrows and slicked dark hair asked entering the workroom, a plastic bag filled with takeout boxes dangling from one hand while something like mild distaste distorted his round but handsome face. “Or do you just have a really messed up idea of boundaries?”_ _

__“Uh no, no. We were just talking.” Richard rushed out, head bobbing up and down in that nervous way it did when he felt out of his element. “Jared, this is my housemate Dinesh. Dinesh, this is my… uh.” Richard paused suddenly, the word sticking to the back of his throat. “My uh, boyfriend.”_ _

__Dinesh looked between Jared and Richard with evaluating eyes, his nose scrunching slightly. “Oh god no.” He said before seeming to dismiss the pair, passing them before disappearing into the kitchen._ _

__Just when Jared thought they had been left alone, Dinesh reappeared from the kitchen, his takeout boxes no longer in toe, and walked across the room to a door near the back, rapping on the wooden exterior with his knuckles a few times. “Gilfoyle, get out here. Tell me what I’m seeing.”_ _

__Turning to Richard to catch his reaction, Jared watched as the other man sunk into himself, shoulders hunching inward, his head dipping forward as he hid a low groan._ _

__“Guys,” Richard whined as another man entered the workroom, tall, bearded, and bespectacled. The inverted cross on his bicep was unexpected as was the pentagram on his shirt but Jared had had a wild youth, experimenting with a number of subcultures, so he wasn’t really in a place to judge. The man, Gilfoyle regard Jared with a disinterested yet penetrating stare, his face otherwise expressionless as he emerged from his bedroom._ _

__“Who is this?” He asked, voice flat._ _

__“Richard’s boyfriend. Can you believe that? No offense, Richard, but I always saw you more as the perpetually single type. Or like someone’s barely tolerated stalker.”_ _

__“Why do you care?” Gilfoyle shot back, smirking meanly at the shorter man. “Just because you can’t get laid doesn’t mean the rest of the house has to remain celibate.”_ _

__“Oh fuck you.”_ _

__“You wish I’d let you fuck me.”_ _

__Dinesh made a gagging noise. “Jesus Christ, I really, really don’t.”_ _

__On the other side of the room a door was flung open, crashing against the wall as a larger set man tore across the foyer, his thick curly hair tamed in a side part with a steel clip, wearing little more than boxers, a t-shirt, and a robe._ _

__“What are you two fucktards shouting about? I’m trying to— oh shit.” The man stopped just above the step looking at Jared. “You’re Jared Dunn, that Hooli executive.”_ _

__“Yes, hello.” Jared sidestepped Richard, offering his hand politely in greeting. “Nice to meet you. You must be Erlich.”_ _

__Erlich shook his hand firmly, his palm unusually slick. “Sorry about my hands,” he commented when he noticed Jared subtly wipe his own hand on the back of his pants. “I was just going through my hair routine. With luxurious hair such as my own leave-in conditioner is a must, let me tell you.”_ _

__“I’m sure.” Jared replied kindly, feigning interest._ _

__“Wait, you’re at Hooli?” Dinesh asked interest peaked. “Then you know about the whole Gavin Belson male hooker scandal.”_ _

__Richard flinched violently at the comment, his body shuddering as his eyes darted nervously to Jared, looking as though he was seconds away from fleeing the room. Luckily, no one beside Jared seemed to notice Richard’s unease._ _

__“I’m only in acquisitions actually. I’m afraid all scandals fall under the purview of our public relations team.”_ _

__“Did any of you see the pictures though?” Dinesh asked, scanning the room. “He’s groping this twiggy guy who looks like he’s trying to get the fuck out of there. It’s like the saddest thing I’ve ever seen.”_ _

__Dinesh turned to Gilfoyle. “You haven’t seen it?”_ _

__Gilfoyle shrugged. “I could give a shit about some billionaire’s desperate sex life.”_ _

__“What’s desperate about it? He snaps his fingers and some young thing gets him off.”_ _

__Gilfoyle sneered. “He has to _pay_ for sex. That pretty much defines desperation if you ask me.”_ _

__“I don’t know…” Erlich hummed, looking thoughtful. “A man like Gavin Belson has better things to do with his time than woo some guy out of his tighty whities. Slamming tarts and breaking hearts feels more his speed. He’s got a multi-billion dollar company to run for fuck’s sake.”_ _

__“What do you think, Richard?” Dinesh asked suddenly, all eyes going to the twitchy man at the center of the room._ _

__“Uh.” Richard squeaked, visibly uncomfortable, his face a light tinge of pink. “About what?”_ _

__Dinesh gave Richard an incredulous look. “About this Gavin Belson hooker thing! You’ve got to have an opinion. You’re always talking about how much you hate the guy.”_ _

__Jared watched Richard scrunch his nose, sucking his bottom lip between his teeth for a moment before huffing out a sigh._ _

__“What’s more to say?” Richard finally snapped, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. “He’s an entitled asshole who treats people like objects. Of course someone with an ego as inflated as his would get off on the power trip of dangling money over someone desperate enough fuck him for it.”_ _

__Across the room, Gilfoyle snorted. “Tell us how you really feel.”_ _

__Taking a calculated risk, Jared sidled up to Richard, wrapping an arm around his back and pulling him into his side. Surprisingly, Richard went with the motion, pressing into Jared’s body, some of the tension draining from his shoulders._ _

__“I really fucking hate Gavin Belson.” Richard murmured quietly, his gaze coming up to challenge any of the guys to comment on Jared’s gesture._ _

__Thankfully the guys didn’t say anything, Dinesh shifting his attention to his feet, Erlich sucking loudly on his teeth._ _

__Gilfoyle was the first to break the silence._ _

__“Well this was definitely not worth my time. I’ll be leaving now.”_ _

__Gilfoyle disappeared back inside his room, shutting the door behind him with a definitive click of the lock._ _

__Dinesh watched his friend flee and was quick to follow suit, casting out his own excuse before leaving the room, the sound of the television in the adjoining living room filtering in._ _

__Erlich was left standing in the foyer looking at the pair huddled by the worktable. Jabbing a finger in Richard’s direction, Erlich narrowed his eyes. “Remember, I don’t allow overnight guests, so if string bean stays the night that’ll cost you extra._ _

__Richard rolled his eyes, shaking his head. “Carla and Gilfoyle bring over house guest all the time, you can’t charge me more, Erlich.”_ _

__Erlich swung around, heading back towards his bedroom. “Gilfoyle is the reason we have free wifi, nice try.”_ _

__“What about Carla?” Richard called back, frustration creeping into his voice._ _

__“Carla scares my dick off.” Erlich yelled, ready to shut his own door. “The surcharge stands!”_ _

__Glaring at the closed door, Richard groaned lowly, sagging into Jared in a slump. “This house is so draining sometimes.”_ _

__Pulling Richard into a hug, Jared hummed calmingly into the crock of the other man’s neck, pleased when he felt Richard squeeze back, swaying slightly._ _

__“Do you want to come over?” Jared asked, pressing a small kiss onto Richard’s cheek, then another. “I have some work to do, but we could watch reruns until Empire comes on.”_ _

__Richard sighed loudly, extending his neck, hinting for Jared to continue with the soft kisses. “I can’t… Carla and I are getting dinner once she gets off work. It’s like this thing we do once a week.”_ _

__“Oh okay,” Jared murmured, nipping at the soft skin of Richard’s throat. “What do you want to do then?”_ _

__Hooking his fingers in Jared’s belt loop, Richard pulled the other man closer, stretching upward for a short kiss of his own. “Can we just make out until Carla gets home?”_ _

__Jared hummed as Richard pressed their lips together again, sweetly parting his lips only to teasingly scrape his teeth against Jared’s bottom lip._ _

__Jared grinned as he pulled back._ _

__“Well, are you going to show me your room or what?”_ _


	13. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Richard makes a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol hi

Richard hastily pulled Jared through the door leading to his bedroom, excited to finally have some privacy with his _boyfriend_. Swinging the door shut behind them, Richard’s fingertips jumped up to trail eagerly along the sides of Jared’s face in quick exploration, urging the taller man to dip his head lower with a gentle nudge to his jawbone, then huffing happily against his cheek when he complied. Jared, taken by the gorgeous creature in front of him, couldn’t move quickly enough, pulling Richard into another kiss. 

However eagerly Jared initiated the kiss, Jared made sure to keep it sweet and unhurried, Richard at one point making a pained sound deep in his throat as though he had been denied for too long. Only when air was starting to become an issue did Jared angle his head backward, retreating from Richard’s lips. Both of them panting, Jared took the small break in activity to crowd Richard further into the room, only then noticing his surroundings as they regained their breath.

Jared hadn’t expected much, but the lofted bed in the corner of the room was a surprise. As were the clumsily tacked up posters decorating the walls and the terrible blue shag covering the floor. The room screamed some kind of stunted adolescence, from the unwashed clothing strewn along the floor to the decals decorating the frame of the bed. Really Jared shouldn’t have been surprised given Richard’s typical attire, the hoodies and the skinny jeans a strong indicator of Richard’s perhaps lax interpretation of adulthood, but the lofted bed had thrown him for a loop for some reason. 

Mainly because Jared wasn’t sure how they were going to fool around all the way up there.

Something must have shown on his face because a moment later Jared felt Richard’s mouth attach to his neck, biting and licking with barely contained enthusiasm, dragging Jared’s thoughts away from the logistics of Richard’s bedding and back to the intoxicating press of teeth and tongue against his skin.

They somehow managed to make their way up the ladder and onto the bed without too much hassle, perhaps Jared’s own eagerness to reestablish contact driving him up the rickety piece of furniture more confidently than he might have otherwise managed in another circumstance. It wasn’t long before Jared had Richard’s squirming body pinned beneath his own as they fell onto the mattress in a tangle of limbs. 

“This is nice.” Jared rasped, framing Richard’s head with an arm on either side of him. He enjoyed the way Richard panted as he pressed their chest together; caging him in. “Makes me kind of feel like a teenager again. Not that I got many chances to make out with cute boys when I was one.” He added self-deprecatingly.

Beneath him Richard shook his head against the pillow, his curls fanning out around him.

“You must have done alright.” He murmured, looking dazed and happy, eyelids hooded. “You don’t learn how to kiss like that without a little practice.”

“I could do better though.” Jared countered, feeling Richard’s body angled upward against his own as the shorter man sucked in a breath. “It would be easier if I knew what you _really_ liked though.” Jared hinted.

A flush crept across Richard’s cheeks when he caught on to the underlying meaning, Jared's eyes fixated on its progression along the pale skin.

“C’mon. Tell me.” Jared urged, the prospect of Richard’s answer tickling the part of him that was adapting a little too quickly to this new role of dominance in the bedroom. “It’s just me. Just me.”

Squirming beneath him, Richard coughed nervously, the blush darkening. “You know…”

But Jared shook his head. “I want you to tell me, Richard.”

Below him, Richard shivered as though a chill had settled into the room, goosebumps erupting up his arms.

“I like being tied up,” Richard whispered after a moment, a soft admission spoken in the small distance between them. “Or being held down. I’ve done both a few times before. My ex was really into it, she’d always bind my hands to the headboard with one of the scarves she wore and at first I thought it was a little strange… um, too restrictive? But after awhile it kind of grew on me, so uh, yeah. I like it.”

“Interesting. Anything else?” Jared prodded, shifting his right knee forward, brushing against Richard’s steadily hardening cock, his other leg shifting up to hook around Richard's hip.

“Um— ahhhh.” Richard gasped, body made pliant and soft, his legs sprawled wide in invitation, the pinch of his fingernails digging into Jared’s bicep a testament to his growing arousal. This was only meant to have been a lighthearted make out session, but was becoming much steamier than either of them had anticipated.

Richard took a deep breath, his nostrils flaring as he drew air in. “I like it when you talk,” he said, a breathy quality to his voice now, some of the volume returning to his words. “When you uh… When you tell me what you’re going to do to me. I like hearing that.”

The dirty talk kink Jared had kind of expected at this point.

Rewarding Richard’s honesty, Jared moved one of his hands beneath the hem of the plain cotton t-shirt separating him from pale skin, scratching his fingers along the light dusting of hair on Richard’s chest. Beneath him, Richard hummed happily, moving his own hands to the sharps bones of Jared’s shoulders, still shielded by the knitted sweater he was wearing, resting there.

“Do you like my voice, Richard?” Jared asked, his hand gliding lower to sit at Richard’s waist, fingers teasing at the soft skin he found there.

Richard nodded. “I do. Your voice is really fucking sexy actually.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah.” There was a pause. “Can I ask a question?”

Jared nodded, his hand starting to roam in broad strokes along Richard’s sides, slipping around Richard’s waist before settling on the low planes of his back. “Please do.”

“What would you do if we had more time? Like, if we could do anything?”

Oh naughty boy, Jared thought, his fingers curling into Richard’s back.

“Good question…” A hum vibrated through his chest as he mused the request over, a scenario suddenly catching his imagination afire. Stretching across Richard’s body, Jared towered over the other man before bringing his face close, his lips teasing at Richard’s ear.

“If we had the room, I suppose I’d probably get in your lap. Maybe watch you fall apart as I lowered myself down on your cock.” Jared murmured, surprised at his own daringness, but unable to hide his grin in response to Richard’s answering whimpers beneath him.

Emboldened, Jared continued.

“I’d give you what you need.” Jared breathed, letting the hunger and reverence building in his chest seep into his words. “You’d be so desperate and lovely, Richard, so good for me. Wouldn’t move those hips unless I told you to. Only take what was given, isn’t that right sweetheart?” 

Richard nodded fervently, gasping when Jared’s hand dipped lower, creeping past Richard’s waistband to palm at his ass. His hand was warm, his fingers long and curious, squeezing lightly in a way that had Richard pressing back into his touch.

“We’d take our time, I think. It would be your first time inside of me, so I’d want it to be memorable. To tell you the truth, Richard, I’ve always had a fascination with tantric and now that I’m thinking about it you’d probably enjoy the denial aspect of it at least a little bit. You’d be such a beautiful mess, sweetheart… Then after I allowed you to fill me with your cum, we’d cuddle under the sheets for a while. I’d likely have to bring you some hot tea with lemon and honey for your throat. I think it’d be sore from all the screaming.”

When Jared finished, Richard let out a high whine, pressing his forehead forward into the hollow of Jared’s throat, releasing a ragged breath followed another one. “Jesus Christ, Jared.”

The grin became a full-fledged smirk. “Did I say too much?”

Resting his head back onto the pillow, Richard grinned back wide and shameless, his face glowing while his tush wiggled playfully back into Jared’s hand. 

“Come back down here for a second, yeah?”

All too happy to comply, Jared lowered his head, sighing contently into the press of Richard’s seeking lips.

 

***

 

Sat behind the modest desk in his office, Jared tugged self-consciously at the collar of his shirt, the stiff cotton uncomfortable against his neck. Switching on his webcam, Jared studied his reflection on the computer screen, shifting the fabric in a way he hoped would cover the dark purple splotch he had found earlier that morning, a lovely but telling reminder from the day before.

Safely behind the cover of his computer monitor, Jared could feel his face heat up just from the memory of Richard so close, so sweet and eager. What was happening to him? He had never considered himself to have anything more than a passing interest in indulging his libido so physically. And yet recently it had become pervasive, thoughts of Richard in compromised positions on his mind more often than not. Of course his thoughts on Richard weren’t always sexual, but when they were… well, they were distracting, to say the least.

Thankfully, Carla had come home before they could get too hot and heavy, which had annoyed Jared at the time, but had probably been for the best. Jared really didn’t want to meet Richard’s housemate when he was less than composed to put it mildly. She had still smirked unashamedly when they had emerged from Richard’s room, her eyes zeroing in on Jared’s disheveled hair and rumpled clothing.

“You must be the boyfriend,” she had said dryly, offering Jared her hand. “I think it’s fair to say that our little Richard is smitten.”

Richard, embarrassed, had stuffed his hands into his pockets before mumbling something that sounded like a drawn out “Carlaaaaa, stop it” under his breath.

Pleased by the assessment, Jared had shaken the offered hand with vigor, already fond of the blonde and her blunt way with words.

“I’m quite smitten as well, to be honest.” Jared had returned easily, unafraid to speak candidly on the topic of his own feelings. “Richard’s pretty great.”

The interaction had been brief, Jared politely deflecting Carla’s offer to join them for dinner by explaining the workload awaiting him and Richard nervously agreeing that it would be best if he went home. Undeterred, Carla fixed Jared with a stern look, assuring him that the new boyfriend hazing process was far from over but that he had yet to make it on her shit list, which was already in itself a promising endeavor.

Jared had gone to sleep that night content with his first impression on his boyfriend’s housemates, waking up the next morning in a similar state, that is, up until he found the hickey on his neck. Coming to realize that he didn’t mind it as a general thing as he continued fumbling with his collar, Jared only wished that Richard’s love bite wasn’t so visible above his work clothes. It was a little inappropriate in a professional setting.

A knock came at the door.

“Jared, hey.” Quentin from cloud development popped his head into Jared’s office, his smile sunny and wide but fake. “I think we’re all set for the kickball match. How about we round up the guys and we’ll meet on the lawn?”

Jared swallowed nervously and adjusted his collar again.

“Yeah, sure thing.” He said distractedly, shutting off his webcam. “Just give me a moment, I’ll meet you with my guys down there.”

Quentin brandished two thumbs up from the doorway. “Sounds good, big man.”

Jared wrinkled his nose at the moniker, but said nothing, returning his attention to his monitor after the man had disappeared. Closing any sensitive documents, Jared logged out of his computer before leaving his office, in search of his group of assigned programmers.

Approaching the cubicles near the back, Jared clapped his hands together to grab his group’s attention, mentally retreating as he launched into his pre-match pep talk and a prepackaged spiel about synergy. Jerking his thumb towards the exit after completing his speech, Jared led the group out and onto the south lawn, pulling a whistle from his pocket and placing it around his neck. Out on the grass, Quentin had had his group line up, waiting patiently for their competition to arrive. Lining up his own team across from Quentin’s, Jared raised an eyebrow at the other exec, making a gesture with his hand, offering him the floor. Relieved when the other man began laying out the rules of the game, Jared tuned out his surroundings, already feeling restless and hopeful that time would move quickly and that they’d all be back inside before they knew it. It wasn’t long before the other man finished speaking, his team lining up behind the plate while Jared’s took to the “field”.

Jared watched them play for a little bit, only engaging when he had to, otherwise taking the opportunity to zone out when he could. It wasn’t until he heard a sharp cry coming from the lawn that he snapped his attention back to the game, his eyes scanning his group quickly.

Near the edge of the lawn, Jared noticed the programmer from before, Bighetti, was on the ground, two men standing over his prone figure. Heart lodging in his throat, Jared rushed over immediately, the closer he got the clearer it became that the other man had hit his head against the concrete path.

“Whoops.” The man standing furthest from Bighetti, Aly Dutta, one of their lead engineers on the upcoming phone campaign, sneered. “Didn’t see you there.”

Bighetti, cradling the part of his skull that had knocked against the ground, cringed. “Except for the part where you totally did.”

Above him, Jason Tichnell, Dutta’s co-dreamer, shrugged. “Maybe if you weren’t completely useless we wouldn’t have to play your position on top of our own.” Tichnell nudged Bighetti’s leg with his foot carelessly. “Get up. Quit being such a pussy.”

Seeing enough, Jared blew his whistle, bringing everything to a stop.

“Dutta, Tichnell.” The two engineers looked up, eyes widening at Jared’s approach. “Please return to your department and resume work on your individual projects.”

“What about the match?” Tichnell asked, confused.

Ignoring the comment for a moment, Jared crotched down to Bighetti’s level before carefully examining the back of his head for a wound. Uncomfortable with all the attention on him, Bighetti shifted anxiously where he sat on the ground, although he allowed Jared to continue checking him over. 

“I’m really okay,” he said quietly as Jared’s finger gently prodded around the bump on the back of his head. 

Jared hummed in a placating way, unwilling to cease his investigation before he had proof of the other’s well being. When Jared found nothing indicative of bleeding, he focused his attention back on the two engineers only to regard them with a cool, detached look.

“You both will be receiving non-participation demerits in your HR files. These exercises are meant to inspire employee cooperation and goodwill. I believe that allowing either of you to continue with today’s activities would send the wrong message for other employees on what we at Hooli consider acceptable conduct.”

Turning away to settle more fully on the ground next to the other man, Jared muttered, “You two are dismissed.”

Jared listened to their departing footsteps; biting the inside of his cheek to stop himself from letting his emotions overwhelm him. The concrete was uncomfortable beneath him but he stayed seated, signaling to Quentin across the lawn to continue with the game. When the other Hooli employees resumed play, Jared turned to Bighetti again.

“Are you sure you’re okay, Bighetti?”

Bighetti began to nod animatedly before the movement jostled the tender knot forming on the back of his head causing him to wince. “It’s cool, dude.” He bit out. “Just a bump.”

Part of Jared wanted to insist that the man get his head checked out, as a precaution, because you see, you could never be too cautious after an injury to the head because so much can go wrong, so much. But instead of demanding compliance Jared nodded his assent, even though he felt unsettled by doing so, “Feel free to sit out for the rest of the match, you won’t be penalized.” Jared paused. “ And I get the feeling you don’t enjoy these teambuilder events anyway, so it probably would be wise to take advantage of this opportunity.”

Bighetti snorted loudly.

“There’s probably an endless number of things I’d rather be doing than playing kickball at my job.” The shorter man paused. “Oh and it’s just Bighead by the way.” 

Jared blinked. “Oh right. My apologies.”

“Why does the company have us play kickball anyway?” Bighead continued after a few minutes of silence. “It’s such a waste of time. Shouldn’t we be like… working… or something?”

Chuckling softly, Jared tried to answer diplomatically.

“I suppose they’re meant to serve as an incentive of sorts, capitalizing on the ‘fun workplace’ vibe Google was able to nail down so flawlessly, as well as the obvious intention of fostering camaraderie amongst coworkers.”

“Big fail there.” Bighead interrupted. “I fucking hate most of the people here.”

“That is…” Jared searched for a benign word. “Understandable.”

Bighead’s floppy brown hair swung into his eyes as tilted his head towards Jared, regarding the other man with an exasperated expression. “Like, this can’t be fun for you either though, right? You’re not a gym teacher, so like, you probably couldn’t give a shit either.”

Jared nodded, biting his bottom lip as he stared out at the lawn of grown men running cheap plastic bases, something as simple as a rubber ball driving their actions.

“I’m fulfilling the terms of my contract, right?” Bighead went on, opening up to his grievances with the company. “Like, I’m here to do a job, not score a goal or whatever. You can’t just force people to pretend they give a shit when they just don’t. If I want to be anti-social and inactive for the day I should be able to get my coding squared away without having to relive high school gym, you know?”

“That would be ideal, yes…” Jared agreed uneasily.

“If Gavin Belson really wanted to save the world or whatever ridiculous claim he makes, maybe he should tone it down on the company sports and like, I don’t know, donate to charity or something.” 

“Gavin does throw a number of charity events every year, but to be fair, they’re mostly just opportunities for him to gloat and show off to the competition.”

“Doesn’t surprise me.” Bighead grumbled. “Social responsibility is very trendy nowadays, I hear.”

“I think in order to be socially responsible you’d have to have some semblance of ethics to begin with or maybe empathy. I’m not sure anyone has explained to Gavin how those things work.”

 _Shit_. Probably shouldn’t have said that out loud.

It wasn’t like Jared had meant to go all rogue no bullshit with his feelings to a lower rank Hooli employee, but he guessed that if his issues with Hooli, and more specifically Gavin Belson, were safe with anyone in the company than it was probably with the coder sitting next to him.

“Makes me wish I was smart enough to go work for Raviga, you know?” Bighead continued, nodding. “Peter Gregory got it right.”

Jared hummed thoughtfully. “It is true that his business model is much more straightforward and integrity-driven.”

“Kind of makes you wonder what Hooli would have been like if the two hadn’t split.” Bighetti added.

Jared nodded, about to respond when—

“Jared!”

Craning over his shoulder at the sound of the familiar voice, Jared’s eyes fell upon a quickly approaching Richard, today wearing a pair of twill pants and a green sweater that Jared idly recognized as his own.

“Hey.” Jared greeted, pushing himself up to his feet. “Coming or going?”

“Going.” Richard responded, looking contrite for a moment. “It was a quick meeting today.”

Jared nodded, his insides squeezing once with jealousy. Redirecting the line of conversation, Jared turned to Bighead who had also stood up and was looking at Richard with a quiet interest.

Gesturing to Richard, Jared introduced the two. “Bighetti, this is Richard.”

“Hey,” Bighead said kindly, offering his hand. “Everyone calls me Bighead.”

Richard smiled and gave Bighead’s hand a short shake. “Hi. Nice to meet you.”

“You too. You look familiar. Are you a programmer or…?” Bighead asked, trailing off.

Richard shook his head. “Oh no, I don’t work here.”

“Richard is just visiting.” Jared added quickly, hoping not to get into it. “You seem tired. Everything okay?”

Richard’s smiled seemed forced, but his tone of voice didn’t betray him. “Great.” He answered, seemingly genuine.

“We were just talking about Peter Gregory.” Bighead said, rocking back and forth on the balls of his heels in what looked like bottled up energy. “Did you hear what he’s doing now?”

Richard’s lips quirked slightly. “You mean buying that island in the Pacific?”

“No.” Bighead said, dipping his head conspiratorially as though he was about to reveal a secret. “He’s _building_ one, actually, which is baller… But anyway, he’s also offering 100K to people willing to skip or drop out of college to pursue their idea. I don’t know what happened to that guy, but he really hates college.” 

Richard chuckled softly, looking at Bighead with a bit more life behind his eyes. “Maybe I should re-enroll, try and get some of that money now.”

Bighead shook his head in exasperation. “Fucking billionaires, man. 100K is like a sneeze to them.”

A smile spread across Richard’s face, full of teeth and barely contained bitterness that Jared could only just register. “I’d let someone sneeze on me for 100K in a heartbeat.”

Unperturbed, Bighead nodded as if that was a perfectly normal thing to say.

“He’s doing a TED-Talk in Palo Alto tonight. I’ve weirdly enough got a spare ticket, do you want to go?”

Taken aback by the offer, Richard floundered for a moment. “Oh um.”

Recognizing an opportunity when he saw one, Jared jumped in. “You should go, Richard.” 

Brow wrinkled, eyes darting to Jared’s quickly for reassurance, Richard’s face smoothed out after seeing the sincerity in Jared’s expression, relaxing. Bringing his attention back to Bighead, Richard nodded, allowing a small smile to pull at his lips. “Uh yeah. Yeah thanks.”

“Cool. Here.” Bighead handed over his phone. “Put your number in and I’ll text you the details.”

After fumbling with Bighead’s for a minute or two the phone was returned and Bighead was grinning good-naturedly at Richard, the corners of his eyes crinkling.

“Sweet. I’ll see you later tonight then.”

Richard smiled shyly back at Bighead. 

“Uh yeah, yeah. Looking forward to it.”

A whistle sounded somewhere far off and Jared angled his head back towards the lawn just in time to see both teams of Hooli employees wandering off the grass and back toward the offices.

“I guess I should be going,” Richard said once Jared had turned back to them. Reaching out, Richard grasped one of Jared’s hands in his own and squeezed once before letting go, sliding both hands into his pockets. “I’ll call you later tonight, okay? Tell you how it goes.”

“Okay.” Jared replied happily. “Have fun.”

“Thanks.”

Withdrawing from the other two men, Richard waved goodbye. “Bye guys.” He called out as he began making his way down the path, away from the campus.

“Nice guy.” Bighead said beside him, his bottom lip captured between the pinch of his teeth. “He did look really familiar though. Can’t put my finger on from what.”

Unsure, Jared shrugged and began walking back towards the offices, Bighead trailing behind him.

“Just one of those faces, right?” Jared hazarded, keeping his voice light.

Bighead shrugged.

“I don’t think that’s it.” He muttered, his face screwing up in concentration. “But I’ll let you know when it comes to me.”


	14. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bighead and Richard talk and Richard delivers some good news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to try and end this baby once and for all, but the rusty-ness is real and it may be a struggle.

“My first app was definitely my worst, like probably falling in the category of 'one of the things I’m most ashamed of' levels of bad.”

“I don’t know, people always say that, but it couldn’t have been that bad.”

“Bad enough that I want to preface what I’m about to tell you by saying that I one hundred percent respect women and their bodies… and also their privacy.”

“Bighead, just tell me.”

“Okay, so… What if you could be alerted to all erect nipples within a mile’s distances from you? And what if there was an app that could do that?”

Richard blinked. “You didn’t.”

It hadn’t been long into their night out that Richard realized that him and Bighead would be the type of easy friends that Richard had always longed for growing up but had never been quite able to encounter. He understood all of Richard’s references, comfortably following Richard’s line of thinking without Richard ever having to explain himself, to the point that it was like they had already established some sort of shorthand with each other. At times it felt more like they were old friends reconnecting than new ones.

Complaining of an empty stomach, Bighead had decided that they should grab a quick burger before the lecture and not long after exchanging a few texts on the logistics, they both sat across from each other at an In-N-Out booth, Bighead cramming a Double-Double into his mouth between words while Richard fiddled with a packet of mustard, seemly less zealous about his own meal, only picking disinterestedly at his fries.

“I did.” Bighead said, the clarity of his words encumbered by the bite of meat and cheese wedged into his cheek. "I made a perverted, sexist, useless thing because I was new to town, desperate and stupid. It’s no excuse but I just needed something to stick, you know?”

And Richard did. Entering the tech industry was nerve-wracking and the pressure to prove your worth by producing the next big, viable thing was something that had eaten away at Richard day in and night out during his first months in California. Most programmers’ first projects were akin to embarrassing first drafts that, in hindsight, they would feel lucky to have forgotten in the long run.

“You know there’s easier ways to see, uh… those, right?” Richard asked, nibbling at the end of one of his fries. “Like from a lady who is actually okay with you seeing them.”

“Right, sure.” Bighead agreed swallowing. “I get that I was tapping into a niche market, dude.”

Richard hummed, considering. “Just curious, but have you ever heard of an application called Vibe Now?”

Bighead shook his head, angling the straw of his milkshake between his lips. “No, what’s that?”

“It’s like a premium escort service.” Richard explained in a cautiously hushed tone.

“Escort? You mean fancy hookers?”

“Kind of. In this case, more like specific hookers, like really specific.”

“What do you mean?”

“Think if Tinder or Grinder adopted an Uber or Etsy model of service. So there’s profiles for all of the, uh…. providers, detailing their personalities and physical characteristics, what they’re into. Certain things can’t be explicitly advertised obviously because the company can’t really admit to promoting prostitution among its employees. But essentially amateurs who wouldn’t typically be able to errr… sell… that part of themselves can offer their services under the guise of a friend for hire situation.”

“Fuuuuck.” Bighead said in a long drawn breath, the straw from his milkshake shifting to the corner of his mouth. “So, the application serves as the pimp.”

“Yeah. And like, obviously there are people on the service that look like they’re straight out of a fashion magazine or whatever, but there’s pretty much every type of person imaginable too. And pricing is all provider determined. I’ve definitely seen offers as low as 20 bucks in this area for like, ‘quick hangouts’.”

“I mean that sounds awesome.” Bighead said, wide-eyed as he absorbed everything. “But what about the providers? How does the Vibe Now assure their safety through the whole thing? Like, is there a vetting process for users?”

Richard nodded. “Sure. Background checks are run on all users prior to their acceptance into the service and then they have to place a security deposit of sorts and sign a disclaimer as an acknowledgement that the company will follow through with legal action on behalf of the provider if an abuse is reported.”

“Otherwise,” Richard continued. “Providers and users can only communicate through the app. Usually all monetary transactions are done through the app as well, but some users opt out of that if they have an issue with leaving a trail. In that case it’s up to the provider to report confirmation of adequate cash payments to the company.”

“So it’s all above board pretty much?” Bighead asked.

“Pretty much,” Richard said, pausing for a moment. “But look, it’s not flawless. If providers don’t report abuses then it’s not like the company can do anything, even if abuses are occurring.”

“But why wouldn’t a provider report in that case?” Bighead asked, stealing another fry off of Richard’s tray when he noticed the basket had been left virtually untouched. “Wouldn’t that be in the provider’s best interest? Like if they have a shitty client then they can always try their luck with another, right?”

Biting his lip, Richard nodded a couple of times before shaking his head. “That’s true, but what if the user offers to pay double or triple the provider’s asking price as a sort of waiver of admission, and mind you that’s an amount he or she would never get from another potential client. You’ve got to remember that the users on this site aren’t all models, not everyone is classically beautiful or handsome or whatever, people are offering different things, and that’s the point, there’s so many options coming in at different price ranges and if a provider who’s strapped for cash thinks that they could miss out on a significant check because they reported an abuse there’s a possibility that they might not take that chance.”

Furrowing his brow, Bighead nodded his head in understanding. “Shit. I didn’t think about that.”

Richard shrugged, his nose wrinkling as he finished another fry.

“We should probably head out soon, the lecture is suppose to start soon.”

Bighead grunted in agreement, swiping a handful of fries out of Richard’s basket before noticing how most of Richard’s burger still sat undisturbed on his tray. “Dude, you’ve hardly even made a dent in that.”

“Huh, you’re right.” Richard noted nonplussed, folding the waxed paper over the burger to hide it from view. “Guess I’m just too excited for the lecture to eat. I’ve never seen Peter Gregory talk before.”

“Yeah, I’ve only seen that live stream he did for KickStarter last year.” Bighead said, popping another one of Richard's fries into his mouth. “If you want we could try to catch him after the show, see if he’ll really cash out on that drop out of college promise?”

“Sure.” Richard said, smiling again, grateful for the distraction. “Who knows what could happen.”

 

***

 

Jared’s face felt wet, kind of sticky even, which was odd. 

His eyelids reluctantly parted into slits to survey his living room table, taking in the strewn binders that littered its surface before lifting a hand to his check. Bringing his attention down to the soggy patch of drool now covering the pile of documents slash poorly-thought-out-pillow-alternative, Jared huffed out an annoyed sigh and wiped at the damp skin of his face before noticing the muted pinging that seemed to be coming from his pocket. Removing his phone quickly, Jared, in the daze of being recently woken, accepted the call without even looking.

“Hello?” Jared answered, cringing at himself when his voice came out groggy and roughened by sleep.

“Oh, uh…” The voice through the receiver squeaked in embarrassment. “Were you sleeping? I’m sorry.”

Coming awake in a sudden jolt, Jared rushed to comfort his boyfriend. “No, no, no. I mean I was, but I shouldn’t have been. I fell asleep going through some paper work. It’s actually a good thing you called.”

“So, uh…” Richard started again, now sounding giddy in a way that reminded Jared of an excited child who was bursting to deliver good news. “I talked to Peter Gregory tonight, after his talk, and um well, his assistant said she’d look at Pied Piper.”

There was silence for a beat as Jared drew in a surprise breath. “Richard that’s wonderful! 

“It is though, right? Like, this could be a big deal.”

“It is.” Jared agreed, a small laugh bubbling up from his throat. “Your algorithm has every possible advantage going for it other than an investor. This could be it, Richard.” 

Listening to Richard’s disbelieving laughter on the other end of the line, Jared scratched at the back of his head, his cheeks hurting now from the smile that had overtaken his face. “Are you hungry? We could order something in to celebrate.”

Richard hummed into the receiver and Jared could practically hear his teeth worrying at the pink skin of his lower lip. “Um, not really? My stomach’s been a little off for the past couple days.”

“Oh okay,” Jared said lightly, his words coming across more subdued and neutral as concern bubbled up in his chest.

“But um…” Richard quickly added, his voice breathless and hesitant. “Would it be alight if I came over? I kind of want to see you right now.”

“Of course!” Jared exclaimed, his tone brightening. “Do you need a ride?”

“It’s okay. I’ll take an Uber over.” Richard reassured. “But I’ll see you soon?”

Jared hummed into his phone. “I’ll be here.”


	15. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Richard celebrates a victory with Jared and later is forced into a reality check he couldn't have seen coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I usually just slap these up as soon I'm finished writing them without a lot/any editing, so apologies!

“Mostly he just seemed distressed that we had approached him. Not that I don’t understand the feeling… But uh, then he started walking away and in my head I was going— oh shit, right? This is the only chance I’ll ever get. I had to get his attention. So I said it was either this or I’d have to go back to _college_.” 

Beside himself with the absurdity of his evening, Richard lost his composure entirely for a moment, forcing himself to bury his laughter against his boyfriend’s chest on the bed where they laid together, sprawled out and loose-limbed.

“I can’t believe it worked.” Richard murmured as he lifted his torso just enough off of Jared’s own that he could comfortably meet his boyfriend’s eyes, his adjustment slow and deliberate, so as not to disturb too much. “It was so stupid, Jared. And then he drove off in this insanely narrow car... it was so stupid and surreal and just why? Why a car that narrow?”

Below him, his eyes hooded with exhaustion, his face slack and soft, Jared’s smile widened 

“Can you imagine?” Richard continued, lowering himself to scoot down Jared’s body, snuggling back into his chest. “Peter Gregory buying out my algorithm?”

Jared hummed in response, letting his eyes slide close while his fingers traced shapes into the exposed skin of Richard’s lower back.

Richard arched into the gentle ministration, huffing happily. “I shouldn’t work myself up too much.” He said, closing his own eyes as he melted under the slight attention, boneless on top the other man. “It was his assistant who agreed to look over Pied Piper. There’s a chance she won’t see the value in it.”

“Peter Gregory’s assistant?” Jared asked, a hint of a croak in his words before he cleared his throat. “Oh! You spoke to Monica? She’s brilliant. I honestly wouldn’t worry.”

Richard fidgeted, dragging his cheek across Jared’s chest until he could look up at the other man’s chin. “You know her?”

Angling his head to the side, Jared met Richard’s gaze with a quirked eyebrow. “Of course I do. I have to know about all of Gavin’s rivals.”

Following his words, Richard went quiet, his chin poking into the hollow dip of Jared’s collarbone as the gears in his head turned. Recognizing the moment for what it was, Jared waited patiently for Richard to work through his thoughts and kept himself occupied by running his fingers through Richard’s hair, tangling in and tugging at his springy curls.

After an extended silence during which Jared found himself drifting closer and closer to sleep, Richard finally stirred, his head turning to press into Jared’s fading touch. 

“I could… I mean.” Richard laughed softly, as though savoring something delightful and novel. “Well, uh. I could quit. I could tell Gavin Belson to go fuck himself and uh, I’d be gone. I’d be my own boss again. I could work on something new.”

Coming awake as the implications of Richard’s words seeped into his awareness, Jared inhaled deeply.

“If you left, I would leave too.” Jared murmured beneath Richard, his words quiet but clear. “I can always find another job. Maybe someday I could even come work for you. Only if you wanted me to, of course.”

At his words, Richard choked down a keening noise before propping himself onto his elbows over Jared, regarding the other man curiously. “Do you mean that?” 

Jared cracked his eyes open to look up at Richard and nodded once. 

“Jared.” Richard whispered in amazement, carding his hands through the other man’s hair with care. “You’re too good for me.”

“Don’t say that.” Jared scolded without any real heat, slipping his own hand back into Richard’s hair. 

But Richard wouldn’t have it, unperturbed as he was by Jared’s pathological need to behave humbly, and persisted. “Jared, I would have never dreamed of pitching my work to another investor a month ago, let alone Peter fucking Gregory. I didn’t think I had come up with anything worth the effort. I know I’m not the type of guy you place a bet on.”

“Richard…” Jared huffed sternly, bringing both hands up to frame Richard’s face above his own, directing his _I’m being serious _face towards him. “Listen to me and understand me when I say that I think you’re a genius and it will only be a matter of time before everyone knows that, including you.”__

He placed a stupidly sweet kiss on the tip of Richard’s nose, one that almost made Richard mad for how much needed it. “Stop doubting yourself."

“Stop being so incredibly, fucking perfect.” Richard groaned in reply, pushing closer to capture Jared’s lips in something a little more heated, placing a cautious hand to balance against the pale chest beneath him.

Without breaking the kiss, Richard moved to straddle Jared more firmly, sitting astride his thighs, letting his hips rock in gentle rutting thrusts. Lazily wrapping his arms around the taller man to bring him closer, Richard breathed in the mild aroma of soap and sweat that clung to Jared’s skin between kisses, nosing his way along his boyfriend's neck. It was not long before the need to get closer reached its peak and the two began fumbling with what little clothing they still wore, shoving the pajama shorts from the other’s hips in earnest, taking great pains to strip without putting anymore distance between them.

Once free from their clothing, Richard yelped as Jared rolled them over, pressing Richard into the sheets with a nip to his lips and a hand on his collar in a sudden show of dominance that left Richard whining for more. Not beneath him to tease, Jared’s hands roamed over Richard, unhurried and possessive, caressing every dip and curve he found with something akin to reverence.

Writhing in his boyfriend’s bed, Richard wondered if there had ever been a time in which he had been happier.

__

__***_ _

__

Almost a week had come and gone before Richard began to worry. He checked his phone for missed messages as though he hadn’t gotten into the habit of switching his sound settings to full volume months ago. He scoured his email, digging through unread junk files just to reassure himself that he hadn’t missed any correspondence. Richard even found himself hovering uncertainly by the window, surveying the street for the mail truck to arrive, before remembering that he was an idiot and that sure as shit Peter Gregory would not be sending him his thoughts on Pied Piper through the fucking postal services.

Jared, bless him, was a constant source of comfort as well as a receptive ear for Richard to vent to.

Carla, however, seemed less invested in joining him at his preemptive pity party. But maybe blasting her phone with his every worry had been one of his less than stellar ideas.

__

_Like at what point do I just assume that she hated it?_

_Don’t kid yourself. Chances are she hasn’t even looked at it yet._

_I can’t handle you being mean to me right now._

_You can’t handle your own life either, so what else is new?_

_Why do I bother with you?_

_Better question. Why are you still bothering me?_

__

And then there was Gavin.

With IRS agents dropping by Hooli early in the week for a surprise audit, something about allegedly shifting profits into offshore subsidiaries to avoid federal income taxes, Gavin’s leisurely time diminished significantly in the following days and as a result he sought out Richard less frequently than he would have typically.

Unfortunately, that didn’t mean Gavin had stopped seeking Richard’s services entirely. Requests for shorter sessions, only clocking in at about 20 minutes at most, were popping up on Richard’s phone, mostly around lunchtime and between board meetings.

And until Peter Gregory bought his algorithm, Richard would need to earn his rent any way he could.

“Where’s your head at?” Gavin growled, giving a particularly rough thrust into Richard’s mouth, gagging the other man momentarily. “Hurry up. I’ve only got three more minutes.”

On his knees behind the closed door of Gavin’s private yoga studio, Richard shook his head minutely and mumbled a muffled apology before resuming, forcing himself to act more enthusiastic. But even with the Hooli C.E.O.’s hand yanking at his hair and cock forcing his jaw wide, Richard found it difficult to concentrate, his mind too caught up ruminating on Pied Piper’s potential future with Raviga.

Sensitive to the lack of humiliation on display by the usually mortified man below, Gavin gave two more punishing thrusts before pulling out with a grunt of displeasure.

“Fuck you, Richard.” Gavin sneered, tucking himself back away before doing up his slacks. “I really could have used that, but you had to go and be a worthless piece of shit again, didn’t you?”

Reaching into his pocket for his wallet, Gavin thumbed out a few bills and tossed them unceremoniously on the ground and exited the room in a loud burst of expletives.

Richard remained kneeling on the floor of the gym, wiping at his abused mouth before collecting the bills, squashing down the feelings of shame that always sloshed around in the pit of his stomach after “servicing” the other man.

Rising to his feet, Richard pulled out his phone and used the self-directed camera function to check over his appearance before leaving the studio and making his way outside the building. Exiting through the lobby, Richard reached back for his phone and typed out a quick text to Jared.

_Free to talk? I’m at Hooli, post-Gavin._

A moment later his phone buzzed.

“Jared.” Richard greeted. “Hi.”

“Hello Richard.” Jared answered, his voice sounding far away, like maybe he had put Richard on speakerphone. “How are you?”

“Better now that I have the afternoon to myself,” Richard sighed. “I just wanted to ask you what you wanted to do later for food? I was going to take the shuttle home and take a shower first, but uh—”

Richard heard them before he saw them.

“Holy shit, that’s the guy, isn’t it?”

“He’s so dainty.”

Pressing the phone tight against his ear, Richard regarded the group of four men idling at the entrance to the Hooli lot with a cautious look as he kept walking, trying to remain calm.

They knew who he was. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

From the photograph. They recognized him.

“Richard?” Jared asked, his voice suddenly closer, clearer. “Are you still there?"

“You must get tired from sucking Gavin Belson’s dick all day long.” Another, louder voice said, coming from one of the four, his eyes skimming over Richard’s figure with obvious and unfeigned interest.

Richard could walk past them, he didn’t have to talk to them, he just needed to keep walking.

“Richard? Richard?”

“Yeah, you looking for a little variety, slut?” Another one joined in, the men subtly fanning out to block Richard’s path. “Want to get on your knees for a real man?”

“You couldn’t afford it.” Richard blurted out before he realized what he was saying.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

“You hear what the little shit just said?”

“We’ve got ourselves a feisty one.”

“Um no. Look guys, I just want to catch the shuttle.” Richard tried, voice betraying none of the turmoil growing inside him.

“Don’t be like that, we’re just trying to get to know Hooli’s hired whore a little better.” One of the men reached out to pull at one of Richard’s curls, grinning meanly.

“Hey! Don’t touch me.” Richard yelped, his annoyance giving way to fear, accidentally dropping his phone as he jerked back from the contact.

And like that another came from behind him, hands grasping at his waist, throwing him off balance. “C’mon babe, don’t be like that. Isn’t Belson paying you enough so that his employees can get some freebies on the side?”

“Get off of me!” Richard yelled, circling around as he pushed the unwanted touch away from him, becoming frantic.

He was surrounded.

Another hand reached for him, coming to wrap around his wrist, taking his arm and it was then that Richard threw what was perhaps the first punch in his life, his knuckles barely skimming the closest man’s jawline as he clumsily crashed his fist into his harasser. The damage from the blow was minimal, only causing the man to shuffle backwards a few steps before he righted himself and shoved Richard hard into one of his friends.

Dazed, Richard tried to extricate himself from the other man, but he found himself shoved a second time, this time harder, to the other side of the circle that had been made around him. It seemed as though the group was content to toss him back and forth among themselves, toying with him, until he lost his footing after a particularly rough knock, and was sent careening onto the parking lot floor. Richard’s teeth rattled in his skull as his forehead made contact with the concrete, his ears ringing as pain flooded his senses.

The men were still talking and Richard felt a foot dig between his stomach and the ground before flipping him over onto his back. Looking up at the faces above him, ugly with disgust, it became obvious to Richard that he was in more trouble than he could have imagined and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.

Somehow, inexplicably, over the sound of his own thundering heartbeat, Richard could hear the sound of pounding footsteps against the pavement.

And then— “Anderson! Ortiz! Stop right now!”

Closing his eyes, Richard ruthlessly pushed down the panic attack that seemed a hare’s breath away and tried to focus on Jared whose teeth were gritted into a snarl and whose eyes were dark and accusing.

“Move back,” Jared said sharply, pushing past the group of men to help Richard off the parking lot floor, his eyes following the oozing trickle of blood coming from the split skin above Richard’s eyebrow with concern.

“Mr. Dunn—” One of the men began, boldly bridging the silence.

Too boldly.

“You are all fired.” Jared barked, whipping around to regard the men again, the severe set of the sneer on his face almost feral, marking the statement as unmistakably final. Anger boiled beneath his skin as he watched the impact of his words begin to set in, feeling entirely disinclined to tame his outrage into something manageable as he usually did. “Do not return to the Hooli campus tomorrow as restraining orders will be pending. Your items and severance packages will be sent to the home addresses listed in your HR files. You are dismissed from this company effective immediately.”

A chorus of pleas and objections erupted from the men, but Jared swiftly cut them off.

“It’s done! You’re on camera!” He yelled, fury coloring his voice as he jerked his index finger towards the building behind them. “There is no universe in which you all get to keep your jobs at this company after assaulting someone, in clear view of our security cameras, on the Hooli campus. You will leave now or I will call the police to escort you off the premises. Do you understand me?”

Visibly startled, the group of men quieted and shrunk back, no longer the menacing figures that they were a moment ago, now just a huddle of subdued and discontent men.

And heeding Jared’s words, they left.

It took a while for Richard to gather himself after they were out of sight, regaining his calm with long, shuddering breaths punctured with stuttering words muffled by the cotton of Jared’s sweater.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you…” he murmured frantically into the soft fabric, unable to bring himself to care that Jared could probably feel his tears soaking into the material. “Thank you.”

__

__***_ _

__

They ended up back at Jared’s afterward.

Upon entering the apartment Jared disappeared down the hallway and reappeared a moment later with a first aid kit in tow. Finding a seat at the end of the kitchen table without any prompting, Richard felt the tension melt from his body at the first gentle but probing touch to his forehead, Jared’s hands on his skin a welcome distraction from the images still playing out behind his eyelids.

The silence between them felt oddly okay, Richard thought, fighting off the urge to cringe as Jared’s fingers skated over the fresh cut above his eyebrow. And if Richard said nothing when Jared finally asked if he was okay, if instead his eyes flitted away… 

Well, Richard thought. It would be better than lying.


	16. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Richard reconsiders some things and is generally inept at getting his shit together. What else is new?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Season 3 premiere everyone! Is anyone else super bummed that we didn't actually get to SEE Jared high? I'm 500% holding out for them to return to high!Jared at some point this season. Fingers crossed!
> 
> Also, sorry some pseudo-doctoring in this chapter and from here on out. Please try and suspend your disbelief as best you can!

“Shhh, shhh. You’re okay.”

The words, pressed soothingly into Richard’s hairline, tugged him gently from unconsciousness.

A hand, large and warm, pressed against the clammy skin of his forehead, smoothing back the mess of hair from his face. Richard could feel the sheets, damp with his sweat, curled around him, and realized the comforter was gone along with most of the other blankets they had wrapped around themselves before bed. On top of that, his heart was thudding painfully loud inside his chest, pounding like a mallet brought against the skin of a drum stretched taut, again and again.

The hand disappeared.

Whining at the loss, Richard’s eyes slipped open just in time to watch Jared shuffle tiredly from the bedroom, returning soon after with a stack of folded bedding cradled in his arms. Placing the items on his dresser, Jared moved to Richard’s side of the bed and bent low to place a soothing kiss against his boyfriend’s brow.

“Go on, you’ll feel better after a shower.” He said gently, maneuvering to a crouch in order to tuck an errant curl behind Richard’s ear. “Let me change the sheets.”

Another kiss, this time delivered to the corner of his mouth. “Please?”

Embarrassed at himself for having burdened Jared with yet another one of his messes, Richard slipped out of the bed without protest and made his way to the bathroom on unsteady legs, praying the floor would swallow him whole. Fortunately, the spray of hot water settled him, the warm, cascading current doing wonders for his aching body, and slowly, in bits and pieces, his equilibrium returned. Feeling less of a human disaster, Richard dried off outside of the shower once he had finished and loosely secured the towel around his waist.

Returning to the bedroom, Richard found that Jared had finished making the bed in his absence and was snuggling into a pillow on his side of the mattress, seemingly already lost to sleep, only stirring when Richard drew closer. Unearthing his face from the plush comfort that cushioned his head, Jared blinked up at him before extending an arm out invitingly.

“Come back to bed.” He implored. “It’s still early.”

As things were, Richard wanted to continue avoiding reality for as long as possible and found himself quick to concede. He yanked the comforter back and buried himself in the clean smell of Jared’s sheets, curling up against the other man.

Together they laid there, neither of them speaking, and for awhile the only sound that could be heard in the modest apartment was the sound of their combined breath, soft and barely there as they both relaxed into the mattress.

As comfortable as Richard was physically, his mind was still uneasy. 

He whispered his fear into the cramped space between them, unsure if he really wanted Jared to hear it at all. 

“I don’t think I’m cut out for this.” 

Jared twitched at the hushed admission. Propping himself up onto an elbow, Jared twisted forward far enough so that he could get a better view of his boyfriend.

As though reaffirming something to himself, Richard nodded. “It was a shitty idea wasn’t it?”

Understanding dawned on Jared. 

“No, none of that.” Jared chastised, quick to offer physical comfort as his hands moved to support Richard’s head, his fingers disappearing into his wet curls. “They were just shitty people, Richard.”

“Yeah, but uh, so is everyone.” Richard grumbled, fidgeting against Jared. “People don’t actually move past this type of thing and if it’s already public knowledge then it’s probably safe to say that I’m just wasting my time. I don’t stand a fucking chance.”

“I’m right, aren’t I?” Richard continued, a downward turn to his lips.

“Have you thought of ending your arrangement with Gavin?” Jared aimed for a neutral tone of voice and mostly managing to deliver it. “Separate yourself from the problem all together.”

Richard shook his head. “Can’t. I need the money.” His voice was flat and brokered no room for argument.

Jared bit his tongue. 

There were many things he wanted to say in response.

About the money, about Richard’s job, about Gavin… about Richard.

But if there was one thing he had learned about Richard during their time together was how much he valued control, giving it up and taking it back. And if this was Richard’s decision, then he would have to support it. 

“This is all very critical and delicate, Richard.” Jared began tentatively, taking a long shot. “Maybe we should SWOT this decision.”

The expression on his Richard’s face lightened as he snorted gracelessly at the suggestion, rolling his eyes. “Corporate Jared to the rescue.”

The last time Jared had suggested they use SWOT analysis to help make a difficult decision it had been to weigh the pros and cons of marathoning the Lord of the Rings trilogy for date night.

Jared smiled at Richard, but his eyes seemed sad like maybe Richard’s comment had hurt him. The thought sent Richard’s heart plummeting.

Clasping a hand around Jared bicep, Richard apologized haltingly. “Hey wait…. Sorry. That was mean… I’m not good at this sometimes.” He gestured between them with a hand and felt small in a way that he hadn’t felt in awhile, unsure of how to protect someone else from his own shitty attitude. “I wouldn’t be like this if I knew how to not be, you know? I should be better.”

When Jared smiled again, his eyes looked brighter, more focused, but the sadness was still there.

“I understand that you’re feeling frustrated,” Jared said, his voice diplomatic and a little fragile. “But you’re brilliant and on the cusp of achieving something magical and I think you’d be doing yourself an enormous disservice by not taking hold of what you’ve created and seeing it through to the end.”

Jared’s voice petered out towards the end of his sentence and he added quietly. “Sorry. I don’t mean to force my opinion onto you.”

“Okay,” Richard said with conviction, surprised at how quickly he found himself setting aside his moment of self-loathing in favor of comforting his boyfriend with a sunny front. “You’re right, I’m too in my head. I’m freaking out and I’m letting it get to me, but there’s nothing I can do but wait and see, so that’s what I have to do, right?”

Raking his eyes over his boyfriend, Richard could see that Jared’s concern had been satisfied but something was still off.

“And Jared…” Richard squeezed Jared’s arm. “Thank you.”

When the other man sank down from his propped elbow and plastered himself along the side of Richard’s body, Richard knew he had said the right thing.

Before they drifted off, the two men wrapped in each other’s arms, content for the time being, Richard sighed.

“I don’t want to get this wrong.”

Curled along his side, long calves and knobby knees entangled with his own, Jared hummed softly and whispered two words into Richard’s ear, which happened to be the only words he needed to hear. 

“You won’t.”

 

***

 

Much to Richard’s dismay, the sun came up and life resumed.

After a thrown together breakfast they parted ways, Jared giving Richard a parting kiss on his forehead before rushing out of the apartment, leaving Richard feeling raw and lonely. Wandering around the living room, Richard flipped through a few of Jared’s things in a sort of bored exploration before finding himself in Jared’s room again, slumping back into the sheets.

He hadn’t been there long before he felt the light pulse of vibration from his cellphone. Pulling the device from his pocket, Richard checked the lit screen.

_I NEED TO TALK TO YOU AT THE HOUSE NOW._

“Fucking Erlich,” Richard mumbled, dropping his phone and burying his face back into the sheets.

Not even a minute later his phone buzzed again.

_NOT KIDDING. WILL SHIT ON YOUR BED IF YOU’RE NOT HERE WITHIN THE HOUR._

“Fuck.” Richard groaned, punching the mattress once before pushing himself up.

A mad dash for his keys, a string of expletives, and an Uber ride later, Richard was marching through the doors of the house, out of breath and wary. A second away from screaming the other man’s name, Erlich promptly yelled for Richard from the kitchen.

“Hey dickless, in here!”

Crossing the computer room, Richard entered the kitchen, his mouth pinched with annoyance.

“Erlich, don’t call me ‘dickless’.”

The other man crossed his arms in a posturing manner and shrugged.

“Prove to me you have a dick and then we’ll talk.”

Unwilling to humor Erlich’s brand of performance confrontation, Richard cut to the chase before anymore could be said.

“Can you tell me what this is about?”

Erlich huffed dramatically and tossed his hair back as he let out a false-sounding bark of laughter.

“I have received word from a source of mine that Raviga is in the process of valuing Pied Piper and is interested in acquisition. Why wasn’t I informed before now? You are my _incubee_ , Richard, and all business ventures in this house fall under my purview.”

Massaging his forehead as he felt the beginnings of a migraine forming behind his eyes, Richard sighed. “Who told you that?”

“I am under no obligation to name my informants to you, Richard.” Erlich said quickly. “And frankly I think it’s laughable that you think I’d tell you.”

“Carla ratted you out.” Gilfoyle interrupted as he entered the kitchen, pushing past the two of them in order to raid the fridge. “Oh and congratulations, I guess.”

Irked but still riding the same momentum from before, Erlich jerked a finger at Richard. “I called this meeting because I would just like to remind you that I own 10% of Pied Piper. That was the deal when I gave you a year of free rent and I’m holding you to it.”

Richard shook his head in disbelief. “You said it was a shitty idea!”

“It was a shitty idea.” Erlich returned without missing a beat. “I’m not sure what it is now.”

“Fine. Fine. Whatever.” Richard muttered walking away, no longer able to sustain a dialogue with the other man, the pressure in his skull growing exponentially the more they continued to talk. 

Striding out of the kitchen, Richard heard Erlich shout after him, “By the way, you look like shit!” before Richard reached the door to his room and shut himself inside.

He inhaled deeply twice and paused, relishing the quiet until his illusion of peace was shattered by the click of his door opening, alerting him that another person was entering his room.

“Oh, so you do still live here?” Carla observed sarcastically as she slid the door shut behind her, engaging the lock.

Richard groaned loudly, clenching his hands at his sides. “Hey, can we not do this right now? Erlich just reamed me for not telling him about the Peter Gregory thing sooner, thanks for that by the way. I’m not really in the mood for another round just yet.”

Carla snorted. “You can hear yourself, right?”

“Yeah.” Richard huffed, his shoulders relaxing in surrender to the inevitable disturbance of his privacy that was Carla. “Sorry we haven’t done dinner in awhile.”

Circling Richard to prop herself against one the room’s dressers, Carla shrugged. “I’d blow me off too if I had a hot leggy piece on the side.”

“Please don’t call Jared a hot piece.”

Carla clicked her tongue disapprovingly.

“I hope I can still call him a gentleman…” 

Richard made a questioning noise only to jerk back in surprise when Carla reached out to run her thumb along the healing scab above his eyebrow.

“I see you’ve been treated nicely since you’ve been away.” She said, eyeing the wound. “Nice cut.” 

Her eyes dipped and hardened.

“Oh and look.” Her hand dropped from Richard’s forehead, her fingers brushing against his left hand. “A bracelet to match.”

Following her gaze, there was a ring of bruises blossoming dark and ugly around his wrist, just low enough to peek out from underneath the edge of his sleeve.

Carla’s eyes stayed on his arm, accessing and pissed. “Let’s see the rest then.” She said, more demand than suggestion.

Feeling like this misunderstanding was escalating wildly out of control, Richard quickly intervened. “Carla, no. Jared isn't hurting me.”

“No?” She asked, unimpressed.

“No.” Richard said firmly. “He’s like the most compulsively self-denying and maternal guy I’ve ever met, I don’t think he’d know how to.”

Carla tapped a finger against Richard’s forehead, which he instinctively swatted away. “So these are from the boss?”

No, Richard thought. Gavin had become better at keeping his bruises where others couldn’t see.

“No.” He bit out reluctantly, trying to come up with a neutral way to describe what had happened. “There was an incident.”

“Richard, spit it out.”

Jaw clenched, Richard retold the events of the previous day, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his hoodie to hide the giveaway clench of his fingers. He tried to give an edited version, one that minimized the physical aspects as much as possible. Carla didn’t need to know about the twinge in his ribs when he inhaled too deeply or that his heart hadn’t quite calmed since the confrontation.

“You weren’t even going to tell me about this,” Carla said once Richard had finished, a slight snarl curling her upper lip, revealing a flash of teeth. “You get assaulted last night and I don’t even get a text.”

“Carla…”

“Not your turn.” Carla cut him off. “Gavin does hit you though, doesn’t he?”

Richard swallowed around the bile rising in his throat. “He has.”

“I don’t like that, Richard.”

“You don’t have to. I’ve got it under control.”

“Do you? Is that why you look like you haven’t slept or eaten properly in months? And what about those panic attacks you got when you first started with him? They've only gotten worse, right? Yeah, seems like you’ve really gotten everything figured out, Richie.”

Richard lifted his eyebrows and shifted a little nervously from side to side as he considered her. “I’m taking care of it, alright? I have an appointment with my doctor at urgent care in an hour. It’s fine. I’m fine.”

Carla made a point of stepping into his personal space as she moved to exit his room, her frustration clear as day. She dug a finger into his chest, poking him hard. “Your whole self-sabotage thing isn’t cute anymore. Let me know when you're done with this denial bullshit.”

Undoing the lock, she left the room without another word.

With the time that he had left before he needed to leave for the clinic, Richard laid himself belly-down on the floor, his hood pulled over his head and tried to pretend that hadn’t gone as poorly as he knew it had.

 

***

 

“Richard! Hello!” His doctor greeted jovially, bursting through the exam room door 20 minutes passed their scheduled appointment, pocketing a cellphone. “You look like shit. How’re the stress levels?”

Richard shifted uncomfortably on the exam table, his jeans crinkling the waxy paper that lined its surface. “Um, pretty bad.” 

“Care to elaborate?” He asked, dropping into a wheeled chair by the office’s computer.

“Well uh, my boss is still an unrelenting asshole, I’m jumping through hoops getting my finances in order, and I’m shitting myself while I wait for a potential buyout on a piece of code I wrote, which could set me up for life or just turn out to be another in a long line of disappointments in my life. ”

“Okie doke. Not a lot of medically relevant information in there,” The other man said as he flipped over a couple of sheets on a clipboard before clicking open a pen. “But how about I take a look at you and we’ll fill in the blanks together, that sound doable?”

Receiving Richard’s nodded permission, the doctor steered his chair over to the exam table and quickly flashed a light into his eyes.

“Right off the bat, I’d say from the dark circles under your eyes to the fine tremors in your hands that you haven’t been sleeping, is that correct?”

“Staying asleep, yes.” Richard responded.

“Specific. I like it.” The other man replied, scribbling something down before standing up. “Now mind the cold hands, let’s check that heartbeat.”

After a few beats of silence, the doctor hummed low in his throat before pulling away. “There are still some irregularities 

“Tell me,” he began, taking a moment to consult Richard’s chart. “Have you been suffering any shortness of breath? Chest pains?

Richard nodded, biting down on his lip. “Yes, um. I’ve been prone to panic attacks lately.”

“Those might be related to stress, anything else?”

“I’ve been feeling light-headed.”

The doctor hummed again as he jotted down another note.

He ran a few other tests, blood pressure, iron levels, some that Richard wasn’t sure he understood before sliding back into his chair, running a hand through his hair. “Well, I don’t know how you did it, but you essentially aged 40 years in the last eight weeks.”

“So how bad is it?” Richard asked, feeling anxious

“Normally I wouldn’t cause too much of a fuss over heart palpitations, they’re actually very common in the general population and are in most cases benign if they’re infrequent and unassociated with any other symptoms. However, by your account, you’ve been feeling ill over a significant period of time now, you’ve been experiencing limited appetite, and on top of that you haven’t been sleeping. Plus, given your history I’m surprised you’re not dead.” 

For a moment Richard couldn’t find it in himself to speak, his mouth hanging open, useless.

“Yeah, you got a real bum unit, my friend.” The other man offered.

“What can I do?” Richard asked once he found his voice.

“It’s difficult to ascertain at this stage whether stress is a causing factor or a contributing one, however, I think it would be safe to assume that minimizing your stress levels in the upcoming weeks would have a positive impact on your heart health. You also need to start doing the obvious things like eating well rounded meals again, staying away from stimulants, keeping hydrated, and getting plenty of rest. Otherwise I am going to suggest a temporary prescription for an antiarrhythmic agent just to keep your heart settled while you’re making those transitions.

“And what if I have trouble… transitioning?”

“This is your health we’re talking about, Richard. You're going to have to make it work.”

 

***

 

“Hey, how’s it going?”

Jared looked distracted when he entered his apartment later that evening, but his blue eyes managed to be intense and engaged as they glanced Richard over.

“Still trapped in this lucrative but unrewarding corporate existence…” He said, his eyes adopting that crazed look that he got when he wasn’t sleeping enough, working too hard. “What’d the doctor say?” he asked.

One side of Richard’s mouth hooked upward. He didn’t bite at his lip. His hands remained loose and motionless at his side. He took a breath.

“He gave me the green light.” Richard said, forcing his voice to sound relieved, grateful even… “Everything’s fine.”


End file.
